cumbria floods and extreme weather in the UK Flashcards
physical causes
heavy rainfall- Cumbria has recived a months worth of rainfall in 36 hrs
saturated soil - soil already full of water increased due to surface runoff
steep slopes - cumbria mountains mean water reaches the rivers quickly
river confluence- cockermouth is at the confluence of the river derwent and the river cocker
human causes
urbanisation- due to building on the floodplain in cockermouth there are lots of impermable surfaces to infiltrate
dredging- the river hadn’t been dredged in years so its capacity for water was smaller
effects
- over 1300 houses flooded and contaminated with sewage
-four bridges collapsed and 12 were closed due to flood damage
-80% of buisnesses in Cockermouth affected by flooding - a number of people evacuated including 50 via helicopter when the flooding cut off the town centre
-40 out of 300 waste water treatment works affected - 1 man died -PC bill barker
Cockermouths derwent house gp surgery was flooded and forced to relocate
250 farms affected
short term effects
50 people evactuated
network rail opened a temporary station in workington
the cumbria flood recovery fund reached 1 million after 10 daays
the “visit cumbria “ website provided lists of people opening temporary accomidation
long term responses
the goverment provided £1 million to help with reapirs
£4.4 million scheme was introduced
a new flood defence wall river dredged new embankments and flood gates
enviroment agency completed flood defence in cockermouth
UK annual temprature
-5 warmest years in the UK have been in the 2000s
- coolest years have all been before 1963
-Anomly was 2012 which was a cold year
UK rainfall
The amount of rainfall in the UK is increasing
For example, the highest amounts of rainfall has fallen in more recent years (2000, 2012)
1954 is an anonoly as it had the 3rd highest rainfall
