Somerset levels and impacts of flooding
- Created by: aimeestewxrt
- Created on: 18-02-19 11:16
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- Somerset Levels - Winter 2014 & Impacts of flooding
- Location
- Low lying region in SW England
- Prone to flooding
- Surface is impermeable
- Prone to flooding
- Low lying region in SW England
- Physical Causes
- Impermeable clay bed rock
- = no infiltration = no surface run off = water reaches river faster
- Main coverage by vegetation is grass
- =Lower interception levels
- Southern England received 207mm rainfall January 2014
- (2x expected for that month)
- Severe winter storms in Dec and Jan 2013/14
- Parts of Midlands experienced highest rainfall since 1910
- Restricts infiltration= soil less saturated
- Parts of Midlands experienced highest rainfall since 1910
- Impermeable clay bed rock
- Human Causes
- River Tone and Parrett not been dredged in 20 years
- Leaves farms and homes without flood defence
- Extra water pumped from Taunten and Bridgwater as part of flood alleviation scheme to protect new homes built on former flood plains
- River Tone and Parrett not been dredged in 20 years
- Impacts of flooding
- Impacts on people -
- +Replenishes water supplies
- +Provides sediment which naturally fertilises soils of the floodplain
- +Some countries rely on floods to help crops to grow
- -Loss and damage to property causes higher insurance cover for homes
- -Spreads water born diseases eg cholera
- -People and animals become homeless and sometimes down
- -Builds are destroyed
- Impacts on environment -
- +Fish benefit as they can breed in floodwater
- +In dry areas, floods bring relief from drought providing drinking water for wild animals
- -Flooding can wash chemicals into local rivers and pollute them
- -Wild animals may drown/ lose habitat
- Impacts on people -
- Location
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