No debates, no analysis, no tips, no comments and suggestions as to what we can leave from this tragedy and use it to protect our families and homes. By heck I wish I was as well prepped and as confident as you lot, I've spent hours looking at news reports picking up useful snippets I can adapt to my preps with.
Top Tip - Always live at the top of the hill, not on the flood plain below......
Sorry!
Don't buy a house on a flood plain ,I'm sorry to say ,but NR there's not a lot to say once it has happened mate
Got to agree with the others NR - not much you can do about that sort of scale of flooding. Dust off the waterwings!
Watching the news though I did notice how built up some of the areas were - nowhere for the water to go. I know we are short of building land in this country, but perhaps building on areas likely to flood is, shall we say, counterproductive??
Apparently the flood defences are now making things worse - the water came over the top and the defences are holding it there. Firemen are having to pump water out of the defended area.
So, if you are considering making your own defences, leave a way out for the water or you'll be living in a pond.
If you follow Devs advice you'll be fine, unlike the bloke interviewed on TV today, asked why he bought a house in an area known for flooding he said "it was cheaper than the market value, 'cos of the flooding...." . No doubt he will be complaining that the taxpayer should be spending millions to protect his home from flooding, but I'll be very surprised if he offers to pay the taxpayer back the increase in his house value. On similar note, doubtless my insurance premiums will go up to cover his shortfall.
If the downstairs is under 4 feet of water and the electricity is out and you have to bug out upstairs for 2 or 3 days, with the kids and pets, until you are (or want to be) rescued, would you be able to get the following together upstairs at short notice:
Drinking water
Medication
Safe lighting (torches, glow sticks or candle lanterns)
Cat litter/dog toilet pads/nappies
A means of toiletting yourself and kids
Power pack for mobile phones (if network is working)
Radio (battery operated)
Food that does not require cooking
And something to eat it with
Stair gate so curious kids and pets don't fall in the flood water
Important telephone numbers and documents (i.e. Insurance)
Could you get this together in 15 minutes? One flood victim at the weekend said the water rose from 3 inches to 3 feet in 15 minutes.
And remember, if you are evacuated from your upstairs room, do you have everything you, your kids and pets need for a few days in a shelter (or hotel) already with you upstairs?
It's the little things that matter when your family is distressed.
Perhaps if you've been flooded before it might be a wise move to move such items upstairs ready for such an event
I was thinking more along the lines of watching people trying to leave their homes from upstairs windows, so ideas like,
Selecting an escape route in the house of possible ie if you have a window over a solid porch or flat garage roof that will take your weight ensure the window is fitted with 270 degree hinges so you can climb out easy.
Keeping an escape ladder ( rope or metal) in the house to assist with escaping safely from the upstairs of the house.
Possibly keep a small inflatable boat so if you have very small kids you can put them in the boat not in the water and you can tow it to safety without dunking the kids in flithy sewage laden water.
Plot in advance where the manhole covers are in your garden and outside your house because it appears lots of manhole cover get blown out of position by fast rising flood water thus creating a deadly trap for unprepared waders.
Ensure you pull a stick, pole or broom handle ahead of you if you are wading to avoid falling down exposed manholes.
Note all useful shortest routes to higher ground
If you get frequent flood warnings prelocate your car on higher ground
Is the stuff in your escape kit in water proof bags
Are your disaster prep supplies stored in water proof container or off the flood so they don't get wiped out by fast rising flood water.
If you have flood alerts in your area find out the local water authority Env agency radio frequencies to listen into you may get an advantage.
........................................................................................
Dev many of the houses out Appleby, Penrith, way were actually flooded by water from further above the house bursting from its normal hillside streams and pouring downhill in a torrent, and not flooded by rising water from lower altitude rivers.
After Katrina the Coast Guard rescued lots of people who had chopped their way out of attics onto their roofs.
When I lived in a highrise I kept my rapelling gear, rock hammer, helmet, goggles and gloves in case I ever had to exit through other than the door. But during a fire you ordinarily would NOT want to open a window unless it was the escape of last resort, for doing so will suck the smoke and fire quickly into that space!
In addition to having your supplies and kit in waterproof containers, the containers should be tethered inside an inflatable or rigid boat which will float. If you live in a likely flood area you also want personal flotation devices for each person, and the PFDs should be equipped with tethered folding utility knife, rescue strobe such as an ACR Firefly3, and whistle.
Excellent point Charles about roofs, in the great storm of 1953 huge swathes of low laying land in the south east were flooded.
"The surge raced down the East Coast into the southern North Sea, where it was exaggerated by the shallower waters. In Lincolnshire, flooding occurred from Mablethorpe to Skegness, reaching as far as 2 miles inland.
In individual incidents, 38 died at Felixstowe in Suffolk when wooden prefabricated homes in the West End area of the town were flooded. In Essex, Canvey Island was inundated, with the loss of 58 lives. Another 37 died when the seafront village of Jaywick near Clacton was flooded. Reis Leming, a US airman, was awarded the George Medal for his bravery in rescuing 27 people in the South Beach area of Hunstanton."
In Holland they got it even worse than we did.
They estimated that flooding killed 1,835 people and forced the emergency evacuation of 70,000 more. Floods covered 9% of Dutch farmland, and sea water flooded 1,365 km² of land. An estimated 30,000 animals drowned, and 47,300 buildings were damaged, of which 10,000 were destroyed. Total damage is estimated at 1 billion Dutch guilders.
On a TV documentary / docudrama about this flood some people downed in their lofts/ roof spaces / attacks after they climbed up to avoid rising flood water and got trapped because they could not get out onto their roofs.
We must continue to learn from history or we will end up having to learn those dreadful lessons again.