Present Floodings.

Not oft that I don’t agree with you Moggs,but I certainly don’t on what your answer to Jonesy was

No reason friends can’t disagree.

I think the foreign aid budget and assistance for flooded householders are disparate subjects with no particular link, so bundling them together as if it was an either / or situation is irrelevant. Nobody has said that UK citizens will not be given assistance because we haven’t got the money.

Trying to link the two topics is a red herring.

Moggy

Baz, Have you moved all the many books I know you have, to a safe place?. Hope things don’t get that bad though. All the best.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

That’s the spirit, baz!!

Re 15

That’s what I call self help. Wish I was there to give you a hand.

Expect hallway and kitchen to flood again in the next 24hrs,…….. ready for it.

Ready for severe gales, Spitfire protected with landy parked on wall to stop wing lifting (20 minutes ago) @80mph wind forecast. Wings tied down and tail secured.

Roof (already damaged a few days ago) re-secured and ready.

Food in fridge

Bring it on.

Baz

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Jim,

In your case it is pretty obviously impracticable to build a containment wall – you can’t do it for the reasons you gave.

But, not everyone is in that situation. When 38 years ago you were thinking about buying your property, a leisurely walk around the local area, without the requirement for any special expertise on your part, would have given you more than a clue that you were moving to an area that could be prone to flood.

The prime clue is in the number and proximity of the rivers.

If, you can believe it, that the Government has contingency plans etc, then why are some Councils, in Devon, Cornwall, CHARGING householders for sandbags?.

Contingency funds was the term I used. Having worked, a couple of decades back, for a local authority’s Borough Engineers dept I know that contingency planning is done, properly, at the local level. If some of the authorities you list are charging for sandbags then they’d better prepare to make refunds. Central Govt. has already decreed sandbags are free.

It was on Sky news today, that at least 1 in 6 householders who have been flooded out, will be unable to get their properties Insured in the future.

Then if they’ve knowingly bought a home thats at risk of flooding I’d recommend they seek advice on what to do to prepare for the next time we get rainfall of the like not seen in two centuries. Just like if they’d bought a house under the flightline from Heathrow I’d suggest they should take measures for noise abatement. Dont see how the Govt should be held financially accountable for peoples lack of dilligence in their house purchasing decisions?.

Is the Government going to pay these unfortunate, uninsurable householders Insurance Policies for them, out of their bottomless pit of contingency fund?.

No. Why should they?.

We have seen householders, standing waist deep in water in their own homes, a little more than wet carpets Jonesy.

No not really it isnt. If they are waist deep in water the carpets are most assuredly wet. The house will need to be drained, cleaned, carpets and furniture replaced and tears dried. Then….well…thats life pretty much back to normal isnt it?. Its a bit of flooding man….its not the damned Asian tsunami!.

If this had happened in your home, would you still post the same answer as you have?.

No because I’d be too close to the topic for an objective view. Just the same as the plight of unemployed binmen in Solihull is likely more of a mind focussing issue if you happen to be a binman in Solihull!. Governance means taking a more big-picture view. Not getting caught up in the emotion of the moment.

And how does an elderly couple, late 60s early 70s cope?.and the disabled?. they can’t carry furniture upstairs to protect it, let alone lift it to do so. Not quite as simple as you make out, is it?.

I’d presume they would get help. In their 60’s and 70’s they’d have friends, neighbours, children, family to assist them. If they were unfortunate enough to not be in a position to get easy assistance they likely lose their furniture…unlucky. If you’re in your 60’s and 70’s and you live next to the Thames in Berkshire or on the lowlands in Somerset you’ve seen flooding before and, if you havent made proper preparation for a repeat, I’m sorry but more fool you.

Bottom line Jim all you’ve written is a very emotive, handwringing, plea for the poor souls of Berkshire etc but nowhere have you made a case for taking a penny out of the foreign aid budget?.

Hang on John, when we moved here 38 yrs ago, there was no mention whatsoever that this was a flood plain, it’s only come to light, that we do, about 10 yrs ago, so should I have done what you suggested 38yrs ago, “Just in case?”

Had you not noticed any flooding before in the intervening 28yrs Jim?. If not I’d suggest that its more the unique (so far) meteorological conditions thats caused the issues for you than your location?.

Chas, yes, the pumps are from where you stated, I am on about those very long tubular things that are along the lines of a massivly long sandbag, but I didn’t catch what they are filled with, but they did come from Sweden.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

Hang on John, when we moved here 38 yrs ago, there was no mention whatsoever that this was a flood plain, it’s only come to light, that we do, about 10 yrs ago, so should I have done what you suggested 38yrs ago, “Just in case?” How can/could build such a wall defence around my house, where the frontage is on the edge of the footpath, which would also block all the light coming into the windows around the house?.Never get Planning Permission in a Million years anyway.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

Linc – I think you’ll find the pumps are from the Netherlands where their experience and knowledge of flood prevention and control is probably second to none. I don’t think the Swedes have the problem or any experience of it.

And raiding and/or cutting back the International Aid budget is a favourite on here. Accepting that some aid is channeled into the coffers of corrupt regimes most of it is used to help those who suffer natural disasters many times worse than our current problems and on a far vaster scale. Our floods are dreadful for those involved and I am thankful I am not among them, but the areas involved and the people affected are a tiny minority of the population.

Blame game – it’s so easy. Pointing digits at some other hapless entity. When do we take personal responsibility? Is it beyond the wit of people to realise that where they live can be and has been, flooded.

So, it makes sense to have a stash of sandbags. It makes sense to build – if such is possible – and in most cases it will be, a two course, buttressed wall, around your property, four or five feet high, ready for an emergency. You can buy a decent petrol powered pump or two to take care of anything rising in the water table inside your wall.

Keep an eye on the weather forecasts and the level of the adjacent river and if it starts looking serious, move everything from the ground floor to upstairs.

I know its annoying but, rocket science it ain’t. It just requires a bit of forethought , energy and the will.

Now here is an idea thought up all by myself, if as they say all the water is starting off from the Welsh hills, stuff the flood defences, build a bloody great dam or three at the the source of the river up in the valleys, generate electricity from them and then when heavy sustained rain is happening as now, control the flow so the rivers don’t burst their banks….

It is a good idea Tony,and it would also be a long time possible solution as to what’s happening now, and in the future, and also help unemployment in Wales, by building them.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

Sad to say if insured I wouldn’t carry any furniture anywhere, I would leave it all, simply move photos etc and loved items that cannot be replaced, why? because if you hump the chairs upstairs but leave the sofa and that is ruined the insurance will simply replace the Sofa as the chairs were not damaged, so you then do not have a matching set, the same goes for all your other furniture etc, one of those flooded in Carlisle had it half way up his kitchen walls, they refused to replace the wall units that were undamaged and as the model was no longer made, they ended up with a mishmash of kitchen units, the lower units being different to the wall units.

So you think you are doing the right thing, but end up worse off for doing it.

Good point well made Jonesey.

Moggy

Not oft that I don’t agree with you Moggs,but I certainly don’t on what your answer to Jonesy was.NOT a good point whatsoever.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

I’m not sure why so many are trying to claw back the International Aid budget on the grounds of this extreme weather?. There are contingency funds held by the Govt. for this kind of unexpected issue and the Govt has stated that it will make additional funds available where necessary and beneficial. Whether you believe that or not is another issue!.

My question would be why a few thousand, mostly insured, people around the UK with nothing really more unpleasant than wet carpets and:

If, you can believe it, that the Government has contingency plans etc, then why are some Councils, in Devon, Cornwall, CHARGING householders for sandbags?.
It was on Sky news today, that at least 1 in 6 householders who have been flooded out, will be unable to get their properties Insured in the future. Is the Government going to pay these unfortunate, uninsurable householders Insurance Policies for them, out of their bottomless pit of contingency fund?.We have seen householders, standing waist deep in water in their own homes, a little more than wet carpets Jonesy. If this had happened in your home, would you still post the same answer as you have?.
I doubt it very much, the water is coming up through the floor, as well as in the front door, and would take many, many months of good hot weather to dry these properties out.And how does an elderly couple, late 60s early 70s cope?.and the disabled?. they can’t carry furniture upstairs to protect it, let alone lift it to do so. Not quite as simple as you make out, is it?.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

Now here is an idea thought up all by myself, if as they say all the water is starting off from the Welsh hills, stuff the flood defences, build a bloody great dam or three at the the source of the river up in the valleys, generate electricity from them and then when heavy sustained rain is happening as now, control the flow so the rivers don’t burst their banks….

Good point well made Jonesey.

Moggy

I’m not sure why so many are trying to claw back the International Aid budget on the grounds of this extreme weather?. There are contingency funds held by the Govt. for this kind of unexpected issue and the Govt has stated that it will make additional funds available where necessary and beneficial. Whether you believe that or not is another issue!.

My question would be why a few thousand, mostly insured, people around the UK with nothing really more unpleasant than wet carpets and disrupted lives means we have to suspend aid to, as example, the programmes in Pakistan trying to get young males out of the Madrassa’s etc. Seems a bit short-sighted to me :confused: