MEDC River Flooding: UK Summer Floods, 2007

MEDC River Flooding: UK Summer Floods, 2007

1. Causes

   • Wettest June since 1914 and the coldest since 2002
   • Dullest since 1998
   • The UK's weather has partly been attributed to the La Nina system, which leads to cooling of waters along the equator in the eastern Pacific
   • Instead of low pressure being driven towards Iceland, it is coming towards the UK which has become the focus for areas of rain
   • The Jetstream was flowing further south allowing low pressure systems to sweep straight over the centre of the country
   • Thames tributaries burst their banks, spilling onto the river's already water-logged flood plain
   • High pressure systems over Europe and the Atlantic had been weak

2. Response

   • Flood and Water Management Act became law in April 2010
   • The Environment Agency said many homes in the north of Oxford were saved by the Kidlington flood defence scheme

3. Impacts

   • Oxfordshire
     • In Abingdon, where a sever flood warning was issued for the River Ock, 570 properties were flooded
     • About 900 home flooded in the county
     • About 125 resident were housed at a refuge centre set up at the Kassam stadium
   • Shropshire
     • Avoided the worst, although much of the area was on flood watch
     • Large parts of Ludlow flooded and some left without water
     • The UK National Ballooning Championships were cancelled for the first time in 32 years
   • Gloustershire
     • 3 people died after the river severn flooded areas such as Gloucester and Tewkesbury
     • 350,000 without water after treatment submurged
     • 140,000 without water for more than a week
     • Bottled water and water tanks brought in
     • Shops reported strong sales of basic supplies and queues outside
     • Motorists stranded on the M5 on the 21st July
     • By the 30th July, 60,000 homes had water but customers advised not to drink for a while by Severn Trent