River Eden (case study W&C) Flashcards
1
Q
Where is the river Eden?
A
NW of England, between the Lake District and the Pennines
2
Q
How long is the river Eden?
A
80km
3
Q
How far above sea level is it?
A
690m
4
Q
What is the average rainfall there?
A
822mm per year
5
Q
What type of rock is in the west of the basin?
A
igneous
6
Q
What type of rock is the rest of the basin made up of?
A
sandstone & limestone
7
Q
What factors increase flooding in the river Eden?
A
- farming
- construction
- deforestation
- STORM DESMOND
8
Q
When was storm Desmond? (SD)
A
December 4th - 6th 2015
9
Q
How much rain fell in SD?
A
263mm in 48 hours
10
Q
What is the population of Carlisle?
A
72,000
11
Q
Primary effects of SD:
A
- 3 people died
- 2000 homes and business flooded to 2m
- communications effected - telephone lines down
- 40,000 homes without power
- 120 people injured
- 2.5m of water flooded the fire & police station
12
Q
Secondary effects of SD:
A
- £500 million financial cost
- 3000 homeless (some for 3 months)
- high stress
- buildings had to go through a drying out process which lasted 6+ months
- flood defences trapped the surface water and had to be breached
13
Q
Primary responses to SD:
A
- emergency services helped to rescue and treat people
- local people helped each other with the “clean up” operation
- TV & radio warnings
- fire & police stations helped to evacuate people and manage the homeless
14
Q
Secondary respones to SD:
A
- keep levels of management at a minimum
- SPAR assessed the options for future flood management
- managed re-alignment of the river
- build upstream damns and reservoirs
15
Q
Physical causes of SD:
A
- extreme weather
- low gradient in Carlisle (low lying floodplain less than 20m)
- high drainage density
- lack of vegetation
- saturated ground
- River Eden on the confluence of 3 rivers
16
Q
Human causes of SD:
A
- urbanisation of the areas surrounding the river
- issues with the drainage & sewage works
- homes built on the floodplain
- levees on the river banks may have been artificially strengthened
- 50% of residents had not signed up to receive a flood warning
