Case Study 10 And 11: Boscastle Flood (2004) And Boscastle Flood Management Flashcards
When did the Boscastle flood occur?
16th of August 2004
What were the physical causes of the Boscastle flood?
1) The weather – stormy weather head-butted the south-west coast for days. The ground was saturated. On 16 August, temperatures were high. This meant that the water evaporated rapidly and storm clouds were formed.
2) The village sits on Valency the valley. This is a very steep V shaped Valley. As the heavy rain fell, the water was funnelled very quickly down the valley and towards Boscastle
What are the human factors of the Boscastle flood?
Human activity did not cause a flood but made the consequences worse.
1) lack of flood control – for examples raised banks or drainage ditches. These would have reduced the impact
2) Old sewage and drainage systems in Boscastle. Capacity was small so the sudden surge of water broke the system and cause even more water to flow over the land
3) The bridge – narrow and therefore soon became blocked with cars, trees and other debris. Therefore, the water had to flow around the bridge
What are the short-term effects of the flood?
1) roads were blocked making evacuation and rescue very difficult
2) property was destroyed. People lost homes and businesses. Some people were left homeless.
3) Day visitors cars had been lost so they were unable to get back to their accommodation
4) first Sue is made some flooded buildings unsafe
What are the long-term effects of the flood?
1) thousands of pounds worth of damage caused due to the lost possessions
2) some buildings were beyond repair so had to be rebuilt
3) Insurance companies had to pay out thousands of pounds. Afterwards residence find it harder to get insurance
4) The tourist trade (Boscastle main industry) was affected and some businesses have had to close
How have the decision-makers responded?
1) A 4.5 million scheme to improve flood defences
2) Boscastle carpark is being raised in height. This will stop the river from bursting its banks so easily
3) The river channel is being made deeper and wider so that it can accommodate more water
4) bridges that he did the drainage of the floodwater are being replaced by stronger bridges that are less likely to get blocked
5) The skin stretches along the valley, incorporating drainage, sewerage stems and land regrading
6) this train allows water to run into the lower section of the river quickly
7) New sewerage systems are being put in place
What is this case study about?
A weather event caused by low-pressure
