Shortages stay as flooding eases (UK flooding)

[demoleft]

Source: BBC

Fears of more flooding along the River Thames in Oxfordshire and Berkshire have eased after water levels appear to have stabilised overnight.

But in Gloucestershire, more than 340,000 people remain without water supplies and there are fears about sanitation and health.

Mr Brown, on his second visit to the region since the floods on Wednesday, said great efforts were being made to help those without water but that supply needed to be stepped up.

The Environment Agency has six severe flood warnings in place - three on the Severn - in Gloucester, Tewkesbury and Worcester - two on the Thames around Oxford, and one on the Ock, near Abingdon, Oxfordshire.



Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6916774.stm

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A girl aged 19 is still missing since Saturday.
The Health Protection Agency warns not to come into direct contact with flood water lest stomach bugs may be contracted - though the risk is considered low.
In Gloucestershire the Chief Constable denounces instances of water reselling at inflated prices by private "selfish" people.
BBC forecasters say more rain is to come in the hit areas on Thursday.

We stand by you, people, with all our best thoughts. Hold on!

[aquart]

1. Private "selfish" people need to do time.

[madrchsod]

2. we`ll see how fast the brits can get

their areas restored...

[dipsydoodle]

3. Relatively quickly

I'd guess compared with N.O. for example and I think the affected areas are comparable in aggregate size. Usually takes about a year to sort all of the new joists and floors and replastering etc up about 6 foot from ground level. Most of the housing affected seems to have been Victorian/Edwardian and structurally they're solid as a rock. I know this from experience - I have friends in Carlisle which was flooded a couple of years back.

When the water is turned back on it will be run until certified safe for drinking - about a week time I guess.

Most people will have been insured for at least building cover i.e. anything you can't pick up and move.

What impressed me the most was the speed of response by the Police and RAF with their 'copters and also the way in which they cooperated with the RSPCA to protect stranded lievstock.

[LeftishBrit]

4. I hope the worst is over...

I've personally been lucky; but lots of people I know have been without proper water supplies, etc. And as you can imagine, getting from 'A' to 'B' is much more difficult than normal for everyone.

I hope this proves to be a wake-up call that our water services must be better managed! In a high-rainfall place like Britain, we should be better prepared for floods, and should not have water shortages and the regular need for hosepipe bans, etc.

[demoleft]

5. Either do I.

I read BBC forecast and it said it might rain in the hit areas in the next two days.
Let's hope for the best. I send my best thoughts to you all.

Have you had a look at the hints at Global Warming?
They are controversial but interesting. I still firmly believe G.W. is changing the rules in nature.

Here the BBC report on that (perhaps you already know): http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6915309.stm

Here is an AP report on Nevada, USA: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WARMER_NEVADA?SITE=MSJAD&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

What do you think about that? May it be that G.W. is partly responsible for the unexpected floodings there (and in northern Italy some weeks ago) and the terrible heat we've having in the south and in part of the US?

Though evidence lacks, I'm quite convinced it may.

[Lisa]

6. interestingly, historical records also suggest wetter conditions in England

... during the Medieval Warm Period (which is frequently used as an analog, to imagine what this century might be like). Even though there can be problems with trying to make a direct comparison (differences in causation, since this time it's greenhouse-gas forcing that's causing the changes), I thought it was interesting that warmer sunnier weather didn't necessarily result in better crops, since there was also an increase in storms and flooding that ruined growing conditions. It wasn't until later, when the MWP started to cool off, that food availability increased and famine eased. (See the "Peasant" section of Terry Jones's "Medieval Lives".)

When people ask me about this (I teach a climate course), I tell them that extreme weather, heatwaves, etc. certainly aren't inconsistent with the predicted changes. Over the past couple of decades, scientists have been trying to push beyond averages (which don't tell you much about extreme event frequencies) to looking at variability -- it's been difficult because of a lack of data, and the computing power needed to run models that can show you this kind of thing. On the basis of probability, it's like the chance of falling and injuring yourself. Sure, this could happen at any time (because I'm a klutz), but the chance of it happening goes way up if the pavement is icy.