Somerset Levels

[haveabeer]

We live very close to those affected villages on the Levels we have all seen the TV pictures of those poor people abandoning there home farmers moving livestock
we are very lucky that we are all ok here in Burnham
I applaud our BARB Volunteers who have worked night and day helping out for the last month ferrying people to and fro
Local BoS web site has put out a warning that tonight's storm will be the worst so far and all person should take extreme care
I hope there warning are wrong these poor people can't take much more

[JenniC]

My daughter and grandson live in Bridgwater, so far they are all OK.. Thank goodness. My heart goes out to these poor people and I hope they stay safe x

[Kenmo1]

I could weep for those poor people. I don't think I could be as strong and capable as they have been watching their life's work being slowly destroyed.

[haveabeer]

I could weep for those poor people. I don't think I could be as strong and capable as they have been watching their life's work being slowly destroyed.

We have shed a few tears for our near neighbours breaks our hearts to see the pain on there faces

[The Tinker]

It is getting very grim on the Levels now - I have never seen so many fields flooded. One of the main roads into my village - about 10 miles from the worst affected areas - was shut tonight and it was quite frightening driving through the floodwaters to work this morning. Hopefully we will not be cut off like the villages further down!

Thanks for the info regarding the weather tonight - am hoping it will not be too bad but have my doubts as have a huge lorry plus backup pumping the drains outside - they were here all last night and have now started again so guess there is trouble somewhere down the road.

[haveabeer]

It is getting very grim on the Levels now - I have never seen so many fields flooded. One of the main roads into my village - about 10 miles from the worst affected areas - was shut tonight and it was quite frightening driving through the floodwaters to work this morning. Hopefully we will not be cut off like the villages further down!

Thanks for the info regarding the weather tonight - am hoping it will not be too bad but have my doubts as have a huge lorry plus backup pumping the drains outside - they were here all last night and have now started again so guess there is trouble somewhere down the road.

Wind starting to pick up web site showing that windy tonight through till morning then afternoon sever gales along with heavy rain
Please take care

[The Tinker]

Will do - am not intending going anywhere this weekend! Was tempted to go into burnham to watch the high tides but think I have had enough of water for the time being

[haveabeer]

Will do - am not intending going anywhere this weekend! Was tempted to go into burnham to watch the high tides but think I have had enough of water for the time being

We lay in bed listening to the waves crashing

[towny44]

I feel tremendous sympathy for all those that have been flooded or are still concerned about what the next storm will bring, seeing the flood damage to property and farmland must be heartbreaking for long term residents.

However the Somerset levels are a known flood plain and only the efforts of man over the centuries have enabled them to be successfully farmed, and unfortunately there comes a time when mans efforts are inadequate and that time is now, and no amount of effort is going to stop the force of nature.

Where they go from here is anyones guess, but I suspect that flood insurance, even if available, is going to be very expensive in the future.

[The Tinker]

I feel tremendous sympathy for all those that have been flooded or are still concerned about what the next storm will bring, seeing the flood damage to property and farmland must be heartbreaking for long term residents.

However the Somerset levels are a known flood plain and only the efforts of man over the centuries have enabled them to be successfully farmed, and unfortunately there comes a time when mans efforts are inadequate and that time is now, and no amount of effort is going to stop the force of nature.

No-one disputes that the levels are a flood plain but unfortunately due to man's efforts the rivers have not been maintained and therein lies the problem. If routine maintenance had been carried out then all this misery could have been avoided.

[towny44]

I feel tremendous sympathy for all those that have been flooded or are still concerned about what the next storm will bring, seeing the flood damage to property and farmland must be heartbreaking for long term residents.

However the Somerset levels are a known flood plain and only the efforts of man over the centuries have enabled them to be successfully farmed, and unfortunately there comes a time when mans efforts are inadequate and that time is now, and no amount of effort is going to stop the force of nature.

No-one disputes that the levels are a flood plain but unfortunately due to man's efforts the rivers have not been maintained and therein lies the problem. If routine maintenance had been carried out then all this misery could have been avoided.

If only that was the simple answer but I doubt that even regular dredging of the rivers would have prevented this flood. When you have land below the level of a river in flood then you need to invest in huge levees which are extremely costly. This may be economically viable for the Mississippi but I doubt that the output of the Somerset levels is sufficient to pay for the provision and upkeep of such huge dykes, and giving planning permission for new housing in this area was extremely foolhardy.

[Dancing Queen]

I hope everyone stayed safe last night.

[Boris+]

It's all very worrying for people living in the affected areas - but the majority of property owners should have known when they purchased their properties that many of the affected houses are situated below sea level.

Potentially - and apologies if I am speaking out of turn here - but some people might have been able to buy the size of property they desired at a lower price because of the situation? If people are so determined to live in an area which is at risk - well then that's up to them, surely?

The best thing for these people to do - and yes, I have suffered a flooded property before - is to regard the current situation as an opportunity, and not as a threat. The weather is beyond their control, however what they do from this point onwards is mainly within their control. They have choices to make, and I hope most sincerely that they are wise ones.

Em

[haveabeer]

Somerset levels are a natural flood plane but like The Tinker has said the environment agency has not maintained the levels also more and more new houses are being built on and around the levels the water has to go somewhere
We realise that these are not entirely to blame unpresidented levels of rain combined with high tides would have brought flooding but not on the scale we have at the moment

[david63]

I do not know the area so I have no personal knowledge of the situation.

What I do know is that it is a "flood plain" which, by definition is prone to flooding and always has been.

There is talk that the cause of the current problem is due to the lack of dredging - that may or may not be the case. What has not been mentioned, or at least I have not heard it mentioned, is what other environmental factors have changed - such as has more land been reclaimed for the ever increasing house building that seems rampant these days.

[Boris+]

I think I'd be willing to bet anyone - a large sticky bun - that this dredging which people are going on about will not sort out this nasty situation.

Em

[haveabeer]

Dredging is not the whole answer but it obvious that if the rivers are wider and deeper then more water will flow away into the sea thus not spreading as far so less homes flooded
Combined with better sea defences and regular maintenance it would help to keep flooding down
If nothing is done, and as predicted with global warming and increase in sea levels more and more land will be lost at the moment it's small villages that are affected how long before towns like Taunton and Bridgewater become part of the levels would you still be saying that they should have known this would happen

[Quizzical Bob]

If the land is below sea level then pumping is a constant necessity. The Dutch seem to manage it ok.

[royalprincess]

Whilst I have every sympathy with those affect it does beggar belief that it has taken so long for help to arrive for these unfortunate people. I blame those in charge for not taking the appropriate measures beforehand.

When there is a natural disaster overseas the UK sends billions to help - why can't this aid be diverted to help its own citizens.

As for that head of the Enviromental Agency it is time he resigned. He never answered a straight question with a straight answer and needs to go now and he won't resign he should be sacked.

[Stephen]

It's times like this when the British Bull Dog spirit kicks in you pull together and help each other out.

There are better ways of getting to know your neighbours, but I'm sure when it's all over it will have brought communities close together

[emjay45]

I feel very sorry for these people too. I can't think of anything worse. We've had our fair share of flooding over here too. People in some of our towns have been flooded for the first time due to the Spring tides and the high winds. We've had quite a bit of devastation. In one town half a car park has disappeared into the sea and in Douglas part of the promenade has gone. We are fortunate that we can see the sea from our house but are high up so we are in no danger. When will this weather end.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I feel very sorry for the people affected by this dreadful situation.

What upsets me most is the climate change lobby, who blame every natural disaster on climate change and that in turn on carbon emissions, and bury their heads in the sand to all other explanations and solutions. Their answer to everything is to close down working power stations , heavily subsidise windfarms, encourage electric cars which are in reality no greener than an economical petrol one, but clap out after less than 100 miles, and force up energy prices to levels which make the lives of poorer people miserable.

In fact the science behind climate change is uncertain, as the numerous changes in predictions over recent years have shown. But if we accepted that it is entirely due to carbon emissions caused by man, closed down all our power stations, turned off all our lights and central heating, scrapped all our cars, grounded all our aeroplanes and went back to a mediaeval existance it would make not a jot of difference. Emerging economies such as India and China are increasing their carbon emissions many times faster than we are cutting ours.

What we should be doing is what we are actually subsidising developing countries abroad to do. That is to invest in things to mitigate against and build resilience to the effects of climate change, irrespective of what causes it.

Instead of spending zillions on windmils that are hopelessly inefficient and pretending that will solve things, we should be spending the money on projects such as improved coastal defences and the neglected dredging in Somerset. If it had been done properly it is likely that the extreme storms of this year would still have caused some disruption but not the major disaster we are seeing.

[Manoverboard]

They purchased land and houses at knock down prices on a flood plain ... and surprise, surprise, when it goes pear shaped they are blaming Government Departments and seeking compo and help from the rest of us. Sorry, but if you take risks then you have to accept the consequences else insure against them.

I do genuinely feel sorry for those whose lives are caught up in this terrible situation, also for the animals who had no choice in the matter but I am not looking to pay for the solution to their problem.

As an aside is anybody intending to compensate those in Dorset who have experienced a few problems over these past weeks and months albeit with far less TV coverage and whingeing.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I think a lot of the worst affected are farmers, some of whom have been there for generations. And even a lot of the later-comers arrived at a time when the Environment Agency were spending their money of dredging instead of building nature reserves. But I agree we are bonkers to build on flood plains when there is plenty of better suited land.

[The Tinker]

Interesting to read everyone's replies to the problems on the levels - some replies quite surprising in their views that it was all self inflicted.

I agree that the building of new houses does have to be capped as it is obviously making the problem worse but as merv says the majority of the flooded properties belong to generations of families - not those who have bought a property so say on the cheap.

Some of you say dredging will not solve the problem - unfortunately it will not solve the current problem but as someone who has seen the benefits of their river being dredged and the riverbanks upgraded in the past year -YES it has made a great difference - last winter our access road was continuously being shut/flooded - so far this year only one closure which with the weather and rain levels as they are is a great improvement.