Boscastle Case Study
- Created by: Lauren_cznm1987
- Created on: 01-05-17 11:56
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- Boscastle Flood (MEDC)
- Information
- River Jordan, River Valency & River Paradise
- 16th August 2004
- Small village in Cornwall
- Approx. 200mm rain fell in 24 hours
- Estimated 2 million tonnes of water flowed through
- Causes
- Human
- Lack of any flood control e.g. raised banks around the river channel or emergency drainage ditches to catch overflowed water.
- The upper part of the village is urbanised, large areas of impermeable rock and hedges have been removed to make fields bigger.
- Boscastle had old sewage systems which had a small capacity. This encouraged surface runoff.
- Physical
- Boscastle is at the bottom of a hill, the drainage basin has steep slopes
- A depression formed in the Atlantic shortly before the flood with the remains of Hurricane Alex which slowed down on the land making the rainfall more immense.
- Saturated ground from previous rainstorms
- Human
- Responses
- Height of car park was raised and permeable rock used. Barriers fitted to in case of further floods
- River Valency was widened and lowered to increase its capacity
- New, higher bridge built further downstream
- The environmental agency made a decision to improve a large relief culvert to allow more water to flow through.
- Water gauging stations were installed to measure flow/speed to aid flood protection
- Effects
- Environmental
- Loss of habitats to local wildlife
- Coastal pollution from debris and cars floating out to sea
- Social
- Sewer pipes blocked & washed away, sewage contaminated flood water
- Cars, vans and caravans swept away, 32 never recovered
- 58 properties flooded, 4 swept away
- Infrastructure badly damaged & 4 footbridges swept away
- Economic
- Damage to buildings and services reached £2 million
- Loss of income from tourism
- Rescue operation was costly
- Environmental
- Information
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