Case Study - Somerset Floods

Question 1

Give the effects of the Somerset Floods

Answer 1

• 600 houses flooded, sat in polluted water for 6 weeks
• Cost was £10 million
• Bristol to Taunton railway line closed at Bridgewater
• 16 farms evacuated

Question 2

Give the causes of the Somerset Floods

Answer 2

• Very flat land
• 350 mm of rain
• Rivers not dredged for 20 years

Question 3

How was the flood risk reduced after the Somerset Floods?

Answer 3

• 2 rivers dredged to increase capacity
• River banks raised
• Vulnerable communities have flood defences