Flood damage reports.

[chrisbell-nottheweatherman]

I know I said I'd leave this thread, but just to hopefully console "dogs32" - the Mail website is saying three days without water, not 7-14. If that were the case then heads would surely have to roll, as people would be dying of dehydration and water-borne diseases.

Edited July 23, 2007 by w0033944

[OneOffDave]

I know I said I'd leave this thread, but just to hopefully console "dogs32" - the Mail website is saying three days without water, not 7-14. If that were the case then heads would surely have to roll, as people would be dying of dehydration and water-borne diseases.

In certain circumstances, there may be that long without mains water as until the water goes down enough and the infrastructure can be repaired, potable water may not be able to be provided. If contaminated water has entered the system, it also has to be flushed.

In these circumstances, the water utilities have a statutory duty to provide alternative supplies of potable water, including delivering supplies to vulnerable customers.

Those most at risk from water bourne diseases are those who are already immuno-supressed due to medical treatment or disease, the rest of us are most likely to just get a bad stomach. Though, as always, standard hygeine practices should protect everyone.

Edited July 23, 2007 by OneOffDave

[dogs32]

I know I said I'd leave this thread, but just to hopefully console "dogs32" - the Mail website is saying three days without water, not 7-14. If that were the case then heads would surely have to roll, as people would be dying of dehydration and water-borne diseases.

A thanks but to be honest..there are so many different stories.......

weather men said today BBC not heavy rain here....weve had torrential rain here.....moderate rain...light rain.....

so nothing can be taken at face value yet....suppose to beout of water by now.....its still running...

rain here now

Edited July 23, 2007 by dogs32

[monkeyuk]

A thanks but to be honest..there are so many different stories.......

weather men said today BBC not heavy rain here....weve had torrential rain here.....moderate rain...light rain.....

so nothing can be taken at face value yet....suppose to beout water by now.....its still running...

We still have water here in the centre of Cheltenham and also in Longlevens. They are only supplying 19 bowsers for the Chelt area strangely???

Looks like they may be winning the battle with the power station in Glos, so fingers crossed.

Edited July 23, 2007 by monkeyuk

[dogs32]

mmm its going to happen here soon......going to check my tap

my tap just below normal pressure

Edited July 23, 2007 by dogs32

[chrisbell-nottheweatherman]

In certain circumstances, there may be that long without mains water as until the water goes down enough and the infrastructure can be repaired, potable water may not be able to be provided. If contaminated water has entered the system, it also has to be flushed.

In these circumstances, the water utilities have a statutory duty to provide alternative supplies of potable water, including delivering supplies to vulnerable customers.

Those most at risk from water bourne diseases are those who are already immuno-supressed due to medical treatment or disease, the rest of us are most likely to just get a bad stomach. Though, as always, standard hygeine practices should protect everyone.

Thanks for that. I suspect that the general sensationalism of the news media has led to a situation where, as you say, the difference between how long it will be before mains supply is back to normal, and how long people will have to go without any sort of emergency supply, has become muddled. Certainly, if the water companies were so incompetent that they were unable to provide any emergency supplies for two weeks, then there could be major disease outbreaks. Most of these, admittedly would only seriously affect vulnerable groups, but there are some water-borne diseases (cholera and typhoid spring to mind) where just being generally healthy is no protection. Epidemics in manyparts of the UK, especially the capital during the mid-19th C show that.

[Rustynailer]

We still have water here in the centre of Cheltenham and also in Longlevens. They are only supplying 19 bowsers for the Chelt area strangely???

If everybody is sensible and does not panic, all will be OK. 19 bowser's would be enough for the whole IoW if that all there was, we would have to manage and so shall the people of Cheltenham in the end.

Regards,

Russ.

[dogs32]

Im affraid several hundreds of people have panicked!!! in or around glos....thats happened.

W003394....yea I think your right over media sensationalism led to not knowing the truth

now its the waiting game for electric/water

I do know for A fact some power and water is out.... in different places...but the scale its going get to I dont know

just phoning someone in glos to find out

people in glos without water since 2.00pm

power on and off at the moment(good source of info)

Monkey uk can u see the colour of them clouds

looks nasty

EAST/south

Edited July 23, 2007 by dogs32

[Karen Ann]

I'm totally rubbish - I don't watch much TV and I didn't realise the situation was so severe until I read this thread. This morning I was moaning to a friend that I was fed up with this cruddy rain and wanted some sunshine - now I feel totally ashamed of the comment but thankful that I live where I do and that I'm fortunate not to have to face the risk of flooding. For all those folk being affected by this situation, take care and stay safe.

[dogs32]

yEA THANKS Karen...

massive black shower comming here looks bad...clouds going up(wall clouds0

turned out to be not that bad..but amazing cloud formations

Edited July 23, 2007 by dogs32

[PersianPaladin]

Thanks for that. I suspect that the general sensationalism of the news media has led to a situation where, as you say, the difference between how long it will be before mains supply is back to normal, and how long people will have to go without any sort of emergency supply, has become muddled.

I've been watching News24, and tbh, there hasn't been much sensationalism at all. Merely reporting the situation on the ground and the statistics that the authority are stating....i.e. the facts are that thousands are without water and a few thousand across the respected counties are without electricity and running out of food too.

The situation is serious but not critical as yet, the emergency services are on top of things so no need to worry as long as people stick together.

[chrisbell-nottheweatherman]

I've been watching News24, and tbh, there hasn't been much sensationalism at all. Merely reporting the situation on the ground and the statistics that the authority are stating....i.e. the facts are that thousands are without water and a few thousand across the respected counties are without electricity and running out of food too.

The situation is serious but not critical as yet, the emergency services are on top of things so no need to worry as long as people stick together.

There have been scare stories about no water provision of any sort (presumably not even bowsers) for 14 days, though (read back through dogs32's posts for evidence of this). You and I are lucky, we are not immediately affected, and can therefore look at this calmly and rationally. If we were in the thick of it, however, I'd suggest that we might be more easily thrown by reporting of that sort.

[Lightning Hunter]

On a slightly lighter note, albeit a serious one for the animals in question, a family of woodmice in our garden have had to make an emergency relocation of their nest this afternoon, carrying all their babies from the flooded area under the patio.

This hasn'e happened for a good few years, so shows how sodden the ground is after nearly an inch of rain today.

[chrisbell-nottheweatherman]

Update from the BBC website on the water situation: Gloucestershire Chief Constable says that best posible scenario is 7-day wait for mains water, but could be as much as 14 days. Bowsers and tanks are being provided, as is bottled water (although according to my father, who listened to Radio 5 Live coming-home from work, Tesco slipped-up badly by offering free bottled water in Gloucester as part of the relief effort, then running-out and having to send for another artic truck-full, because they were caught-out by the level of demand! )

Edited July 23, 2007 by w0033944

[SnowJoke]

About time tesco's did something for the people, all they normally supply at the minute is slughtly dodgy fruit that goes rotten within 2 days and those horrible plastic carrier bags that seem to find there way into every hedgerow and bush. It's uncanny like they have a homing beacon built in!

[The PIT]

Shows how badly prepaired we are really. With an increasing population and more preasure for building on flood plains this will happen more and more.

Our Tescos was very low on stuff like frsh Veg and Milk so I presume they're having problems sourcing it. Asked at the checkouts about this and the lady said it was due to increased demand.

[chrisbell-nottheweatherman]

Shows how badly prepaired we are really. With an increasing population and more preasure for building on flood plains this will happen more and more.

Our Tescos was very low on stuff like frsh Veg and Milk so I presume they're having problems sourcing it. Asked at the checkouts about this and the lady said it was due to increased demand.

Increased demand for bottled water when they're offering it in Gloucester for free is so easily anticipated that to say that they were caught-out by the demand is ridiculous, IMO.

[flagpole]

The thing that really peeved me off was this ; the Navy from Plymouth have been called in to help the situation in Gloucestershire (good) and they were shown marching along the road - why marching ? Just get the hell as quick as possible to where you've been asked to go and save some people's livelihoods etc!!

Maybe because the sight of them marching instills far less panic than if they were to run around like headless chickens!

[The PIT]

PM coming out with lame excuses thankfully the Met Office got the warnings out so the buck won't stop there for once.

[Pickles]

Shows how badly prepaired we are really. With an increasing population and more preasure for building on flood plains this will happen more and more.

How do you prepare for unprecedented rainfall like we have had in this area, in unpredictable places, I know for a fact that on Friday the emergency services ran out of resources to help with rescues, but they did a fantastic job to save so many lives with the situation as it was, which I think shows formidable preperation for extreme situations.

As for flood plains, again, this current situation is affecting areas not on flood plains, so I don't really think that building has caused this current situation, it is all down to having such a huge amount of rainfall.

[chrisbell-nottheweatherman]

How do you prepare for unprecedented rainfall like we have had in this area, in unpredictable places, I know for a fact that on Friday the emergency services ran out of resources to help with rescues, but they did a fantastic job to save so many lives with the situation as it was, which I think shows formidable preperation for extreme situations.

As for flood plains, again, this current situation is affecting areas not on flood plains, so I don't really think that building has caused this current situation, it is all down to having such a huge amount of rainfall.

I don't think anyone has anything other than praise for the emergency services - the questions more revolve around EA resources.

[The PIT]

How do you prepare for unprecedented rainfall like we have had in this area, in unpredictable places, I know for a fact that on Friday the emergency services ran out of resources to help with rescues, but they did a fantastic job to save so many lives with the situation as it was, which I think shows formidable preperation for extreme situations.

As for flood plains, again, this current situation is affecting areas not on flood plains, so I don't really think that building has caused this current situation, it is all down to having such a huge amount of rainfall.

Have you actually checked that it's unprecedented??? The news said the same for Sheffield yet the rainfall on the day that the floods occured wasn't unprecedented. In fact it was 10th on the list since 1989.

I think if you check you'll find that the flooding will be on the flood plains or moved to different areas due to flood defenses preventing natural flooding.

The emergency services are suffering due to cuts which won't help them and I haven't criticised them in the first place. Sadly they're operating on the very limits and must be exhausted.

Edited July 23, 2007 by The PIT

[Paul]

can we stay on topic in this thread please - there are other places to discuss the political and organisational aspects of the reponse to the flooding etc

[West is Best]

The North Devon Show has just been cancelled.

Don't laugh - it's actually disastrous for farmers in the area.

Edited July 23, 2007 by West is Best

[PersianPaladin]

How do you prepare for unprecedented rainfall like we have had in this area, in unpredictable places, I know for a fact that on Friday the emergency services ran out of resources to help with rescues, but they did a fantastic job to save so many lives with the situation as it was, which I think shows formidable preperation for extreme situations.

As for flood plains, again, this current situation is affecting areas not on flood plains, so I don't really think that building has caused this current situation, it is all down to having such a huge amount of rainfall.

I actually agree with that.