Floods!

Last winter when Somerset was flooded, one village where we have relatives was saved because the farmers had regularly maintained the ditches.

Essential planned maintenance is what is needed.

They have had it so bad up north - luckily my children up there live in the top of a Victorian woolen mill so can watch the action from a safe distance.

Our home has flooded in the past, but at last, after much battling with the authorities, we have been helped by the parish lengthsman who comes regularly to dig out the ditches.

Hope everyone stays safe. It must be so horrible to go through flooding once, let alone several times.

There used to be a dredger on the Foss. Although it's a river, it looks more like a canal, particularly the bit between the Rowntree factory and the Ouse. Perhaps that was what it was when it was built, to ferry cocoa to the factory.

anniebach DH keeps saying 'they need to dredge the rivers'

We walked along our local river yesterday and it was just full of silt, washing down, but it leaves deposits as it goes.
I did notice they were clearing drains nearby but they don't seem to do that so often.

On Christmas Eve the floods hit West Yorkshire,I live in Shipley where the River Aire burst its banks,and people were being rescued by boat,houses evacuated,and footbridges destroyed,but towns like Skipton and Ilkley were affected ,most people saying they had never experienced the like! I am glad to live at the top of a hill,but so sad for those caught up In it

According to the flood maps and the York Press, it's all inside the outer ring road, Greyduster, although some of the photos show Strensall village flooded.
www.yorkpress.co.uk is the site that gets updated.
Foss Islands Road looks bad. An hour ago the Ouse was still rising, but it did not say whether the Foss was. The Foss in Haxby is just like my village here, according to the flood maps.

My son and his wife came down here yesterday from their home just outside York and he was on the phone to his boss this morning about the situation with their offices which are right by the river and very likely to be flooded if they haven't been already. Their house is not in a flood area fortunately, but my friend also lives in York, very close to the Foss in Haxby, and I have been unable to get hold of her this morning so i really hope she is okay.

I lived in York for ten years, including the 2000 floods, when there was only one road open out of York.
This is much worse.
The Foss barrier was built to protect houses upstream from the Ouse/ city centre, but they have left it up because of the problems of an electrical fault, thus flooding all those houses which were protected by it.
I used to joke that where we lived on Haxby Road was on the only hill in York, so we would be safe. However I have noticed that even Haxby Road has been closed by the police. 3500 houses been evacuated along the Foss.
Buses rerouted to avoid the area.
I feel so sorry for people who thought that the barrier would protect them.
What was the point of it?

Just heard from DD2 the water has gone down there now quite a bit.

This town was flooded a few years a go as a result a dam was built but its only set to last for so long and there are no plans to replace it.

Our town was often flooded until the eighties, a small market town with two small rivers and one large plus a canal . The large river bed was dredged and sunk lower, no floods since apart from the golf course and some parks which are on the banks of the smaller rivers .

I have nothing to add except sincere sympathy to those affected.

It must be devastating, especially if you can't get insurance, you clear it all up and then it happens again.
We had friends who had just finished renovating an old house in Gloucestershire a few years ago and then it got flooded when Tewkesbury and surrounding districts were under water for ages.

The river here is over the banks and full of silt, it was rushing down yesterday at full speed. We are fine but I feel for those people affected wherever they are.

Yes,it shows the importance of everyone having insurance, otherwise you can lose everything.Have any Gnetters been directly affected by the floods?

I especially feel sorry for those who are not insured. They face having to do some of the work themselves and paying out for builders to do it for them, and you can guarantee there will be a shortage of these as the insurance companies will be bagging most of them for their clients. And, unless they can find alternative accommodation with relatives or friends they will have to fork out for rented accommodation for 9-12 months.

Then there's everything which will have to be replaced; electrical goods, carpets, furniture and so on. I hope there is some way these people can have unwanted items donated to them 9-12 months down the line when/if they are able to move back.

Here in West Yorkshire, the water rose very quickly last night.Homes and businesses flooded as are parks and beauty spots.Thankful to live at the top of a very steep hill. Thoughts are with everyone affected and fingers crossed that the torrential rain they are predicting on Wednesday doesn't happen.

I'm so sorry for all the people flooded not once but several times in the Lakes and the North West and now York. My daughter lives in Thelwall just outside Warrington and ha has put pictures on Facebook of the canal lock near here which has flooded. I haven't heard from her other than that though.

My heart goes out to everyone affected. Initially from Yorkshire I know a lot of the affected areas there well. It's heart breaking to see the plight of all and I hope that when the rain stops and water levels drop sufficiently we can all do a little something to help in some way.

There is also this feeling of helplessness, there is nothing we can do to stop the rain which is causing all the trouble, and at the moment not a lot we can do to help the poor folk losing everything. Such a sad thing to happen at what should be a happy time.

I am from the North and this morning said to DH that in all the 69 years I have lived in and around the area, I have never, ever seen floods here. Just about half a mile away they are helping people evacuate in dinghies. I just can't believe it. I feel so sorry for the people involved.

It's so frightening to see the raging torrents destroying homes and livelihoods - my heart goes out to everyone affected. I also worry about all the poor animals which doubtless perish - people's pets hopefully are safe but farm animals and those in burrows etc must surely drown.

Bangor and Anglesey effectively cut off all day due to flooding. Only decent road in is A55 to Holyhead and that is closed. if you know anyone hoping to get to or from Dublin tell them to check for updates before setting off.
Loads of local routes also blocked by floodwater.

We're twelve miles north of Manchester on the edge of moorland. Our road was blocked by floods this morning . A newly renovated detached stone house was flooded as a result. The reservoir outflow was a noisy torrent and the brook a raging river. One daughters village was cut off after a bridge collapsed. I've lived in this Area forty six years and never experienced conditions like this. Lots of local news about roads closed due to flooding. The normally quiet Irwell in Manchester city centre also raging. We're lucky to be on high ground, those in the valleys less fortnate

It sounds horrific and I have not seen the news yet. Those poor people.

Our niece lives in Todmorden - thankfully near the top of a hill - but they are marooned.