Earth Watch Report  –  Flooding

 

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21.11.2012 Flash Flood United Kingdom England, Tamerton Foliot [Plymouth] Damage level
Details

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Flash Flood in United Kingdom on Wednesday, 21 November, 2012 at 15:10 (03:10 PM) UTC.

Description
A MAIN commuter route in Plymouth was closed by flooding, and some villages were cut off as torrential rain swept across the South West in the night. Gdynia Way, the main route into Plymouth from the east, was closed at 4.30am and remained closed seven hours later. Parts of Tamerton Foliot and Yealmpton were described as “impassable”, and Tamerton Foliot Road was also still closed at 11am today. Firefighters had more than 300 calls to flooding in Devon and Somerset this morning. The Kings Arms pub in Tamerton Foliot, which has just completed an extensive refurbishment, is flooded to knee-high internally. Flooding was reported from right across the city, and council contractors were out in force, clearing drains ahead of a second downpour forecast for tonight. Early today a man driving a blue Mitsubishi Colt was trapped when his car broke down in floodwater in Gdynia way at 4.15am. Plymstock firefighters pushed his vehicle clear, and the road was closed.

An hour later the Plymstock crew was called to Bovisand, where a stream broke its banks. They diverted water away from houses at Bovisand Court. Camels Head firefighters went to Yealmpton, east of Plymouth, where they pumped out one house in Stray Park and diverted water running off the fields. Firefighters from Ivybridge were called to Tamerton Foliot, where part of the village was closed by flooding. Police said people were rescued from a car trapped in two feet of floodwater. The car, a blue Nissan Almera, was trapped by the water in Old Warleigh Lane at about 4.20am Police said the road was closed at the junction of Riverside Walk and Fore Street, and four houses were affected. The Environment Agency said there were 24 flood warnings and 50 flood alerts in place, in an area stretching from Plymouth to East Devon after widespread, heavy rain during Tuesday the night.

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The UK is braced for another day of deluges and flooding as heavy rain sweeps across the country.

Homes were flooded and roads left underwater yesterday as downpours caused widespread disruption, and forecasters warned more misery is on its way.

Vehicles were abandoned and there were reports of entire villages being cut off as floodwater surged through lanes and streets and into homes.

As with yesterday, the South West and Wales are expected to bear the brunt of the weather as a low pressure system moves eastwards across the country, bringing gusts of up to 70mph and extremely heavy rain.

The Met Office warned that some areas could see up to 60mm (5in) of rain falling on already saturated ground, leading to further risk of rivers flooding.

Strong winds could yet worsen conditions, particularly surface water flooding, as leaves and debris block drains and channels.

More than 80 flood warnings are in place – 50 alone in the South West – and there are a further 138 less serious flood alerts, the Environment Agency said.

Agency teams are on the ground across the country clearing watercourses of debris and monitoring river levels, and will be out in force over the coming days.

Pete Fox, the Environment Agency’s head of flood risk strategy, said: “There is already significant travel disruption due to the wet weather and we would urge people to remain vigilant as further flooding is possible across the South West.

“People at flood risk should move their valuable possessions to a safe place before the heavy rain falls.

“We also ask that people stay safe, by staying away from swollen rivers and not attempting to drive through floodwater.”

Sally Webb, forecaster with MeteoGroup, the meteorological division of the Press Association, said: “There will be gusts as high as 70mph in coastal parts of Cornwall and south west Wales, and it will be very windy elsewhere, reaching up to 50mph.

“The rain is going to be very heavy, and in parts of Cornwall and south-west Wales we could see as much as 50mm or even 60mm over higher ground.

“Elsewhere in the UK is likely to see between 25mm and 30mm.

“The South West and Wales are going to be the worst hit, and it will also be slow to clear from Scotland.

“Rain will push east overnight towards East Anglia, London and Kent, leaving it a bit drier and clearer in the west.

“Some of the heaviest rain will be in areas that have already got flooding, such as the Devon and Bristol areas.

“This weather is very common for autumn, it is just unfortunate that it seems to keep coming at the moment.”

While today is expected to be a washout, tomorrow should be bright and breezy, with sunny spells and scattered showers in the west.

The weather caused major problems on the road yesterday, with the AA attending more than 8,000 breakdowns – 37% more than normal – and 500 floodwater-related callouts by 4pm.

Roads were reported as being impassable around the M5 corridor and in Worcestershire and south Birmingham, and standing water on roads created difficulties for motorists.

Dozens of schools were closed, including 12 in Devon and 17 in Somerset, two of the worst-hit counties, and businesses including pubs and restaurants forced to turn away customers following the floods.

Emergency services in Somerset were also called to a flooded property to help rescue a woman who had gone into labour and needed to get to hospital.

Earlier this week, more than 100 residents were evacuated from their homes and transport links were cut off after persistent heavy rain caused flooding in Scotland.

PA

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