Flooding Flashcards
How many people were made homeless by the 1998 floods in Bangladesh?
30 million
In 1998, ……………. of Bangladesh was underwater for ……. days.
Two thirds, 50
The rivers flowing through Bangladesh drain a basin ……. times the size of Bangladesh.
10
Why is aggradation an issue in Bangladesh?
Irrigation in China and Nepal causes silt to enter the rivers; this is then deposited in Bangladesh and reduces the capacity of rivers
How much has Bangladesh’s population increased in recent decades?
Between 1960 and 2010, population grew from 58 million to 158 million
How many people in Bangladesh live below the poverty line (and therefore cannot protect themselves from flooding)?
50 million
How much does flooding in Bangladesh cost on average?
3-10% of GDP
What are three sustainable development projects being run in Bangladesh?
Practical Action’s fishing, pumpkin farming, Christian Aid’s ducks
Why do water-borne diseases such as cholera thrive during floods in Bangladesh?
Many people live very close together in slums or have to move into temporary shelters during the floods, and have very little access to healthcare
How much of the world’s population lives in the coast?
10%
What were the peak wave periods in the Atlantic in 2014?
Over 20 seconds
How high were some waves in the Atlantic in 2014?
Over 10m
In 2014, what was the most costly damage in the UK floods?
The destruction of the London-Penzance railway at Dawlish in South Devon; the regional economy lost £1-20 million a day for the two months it was closed
Why are storm waves so destructive?
Longer wave periods show fast movement, energy proportional to height squared, slightly bigger wave has a lot more energy
What evidence was there of cliff shaking in the UK 2013/2014?
Porthcothan arch and Pom Pom Rock stack collapsed, seismometers in Porthleven cliffs
How long did some villages stay underwater in Somerset?
7 weeks
How deep was the moorland flooding in Somerset?
3 feet
How many homes were flooded in Somerset?
600
Why did the water stay in Somerset for so long?
Flat reclaimed land, doesn’t drain
What management was in place upstream of Bridgewater?
A moor was left as sacrificial land, however the flooding was worse than expected so it spilled over into neighbouring fields and homes
The EA said it had protected 1.3 million homes. What evidence is there to suggest this?
In 2007, 48,000 homes were flooded in Tewkesbury; only 6,000 were flooded in 2014
What is the Jubilee river?
A £110 million artificial channel protecting Maidenhead, Eton and Windsor
How many homes does the Jubilee River protect?
3,000
What is a disadvantage of the Jubilee River?
It rejoins the Thames at Wraysbury, increasing the likelihood of flooding
What was the effect of the 2013/2014 winter storms on Hemsby, Norfolk?
30ft of the village, including some houses fell into the sea; 50 more at risk
How much did the 2007 floods cost the Uk economy?
£3 billion
In summer 2007, rainfall was …… times the normal amount.
300
How many homes in Hull were severely damaged by the 2007 floods?
8,000
How many businesses in Hull had to close?
1,300
In 2004, how much water flooded Boscastle?
Equivalent of the Thames flowed through the village, funnelled by the valley
Why were sluice gates opened at a dam near Rotherham?
Dam threatened to burst, flooding power lines and M1; 30 million of 120 million capacity released; residents of Catcliff downstream thought dam had already burst due to severity of flooding
Why is Tewkesbury so vulnerable to flooding?
It lies on the confluence of the Severn and Avon
What happened to the abbey in Tewkesbury?
First time flooding since 1770, became an island of 100-150 people
How much rain fell over Gloucestershire in 2007?
135mm in 16 hours
How much did the water level in the Severn rise by?
6m and the Avon was at its highest level ever recorded
What were the secondary impacts of 2007 UK floods?
Thousands of houses without electricity and water supplies due to flooding at sub-station and contamination
What were the immediate responses to the 2007 floods?
£87 million emergency aid for schools,transport and business; bottled water distributed
What were the long term responses to the 2007 floods?
Plans to increase flood defence spending by £800 million by 2011, afforestation, better home design
