Case Study-Boscastle Floods Flashcards
Location
Boscastle, Cornwall
Population
900
Deaths
0
Rivers flooded
Valency mainly but also river Jordan
Human causes x2
Lack of flood protection and very small drains
Trees and low bridges blocked the river causing the banks to be burst
Rainfall
600 MM. in two hours
Condition of the ground
Saturated
Drainage basin
Steep slopes and impermeable slate caused rapid surface runoff
Position and rivers near by
At the confluence of three rivers hence large amounts of water in a short amount of time
Tide
High tide made matters worse
Short term economic impacts
House prises fell dramatically across the region
Short term environmental
Waste from the town ended up in the sewer
Burst sewage main caused leakage in flood waters
Short term social impacts
Roads blocked by flood water making emergency Access difficult
Property destroyed by debris e.g trees and vehicles
Burst sewage main made town inaccessible due to health and safety
Impact on tourism
Massive loss in revenue, bad as it was the towns main income
Costs of repairs to buildings
Cost Cornwall district council 2 million pounds to repair
House prices
Permanent drop
Wildlife
Vast damage to wildlife and habitats due to river pollution and flooding
Pollution
Coastal pollution from debris and fuel from cars
Transport difficulties
100 cars destroyed
Mental issues
Stress and anxiety
Short term management
RAF s arch and rescue alerted at 5pm when the incident was declared they searched buildings and residential areas
No deaths due to rapid response
Flood defence
4.6 million pound scheme completed in 2008
Bridges
Low bridges removed
Other hard engineering
River widened through Boscastle
New flood defence wall in village centre
River bank walls reinforced
Car park raised +permeable acts as a flood barrier
Date
16th August 2004
