Tewkesbury, River Severn

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  • Created by: Ruth
  • Created on: 12-05-14 20:30
Physical causes
3rd largest river in GB, drains catchment of 11,50km^2, up to 800m relief, Avon & Teme join between Worcester and Tewkesbury, upper catchment =steep + low permeability, mean annual rainfall 2000mm, saturated soils - wettest summer since 1766
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Human causes
Building on the floodplain - Tewkesbury and Upton-on-Severn lack flood defences, urbanisation, drainage of farmland increases transfer of water into rivers
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What happened?
Severn raised up to 6m above normal levels, by July 21st, floodplain was inundated and river entered Tewkesbury Abbey for the first time in 247 years
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Electricity
Flooding of a substation near Gloucester left 50,000 homes without power for 2 days
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Water
A water treatment plant in Tewkesbury was flooded, leaving 140,000 households cut off for 5 days. Safe drinking water was restored on 7th August
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Motorists
10,000 had to abandon cars on the M5
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Insured loss
£1-1.5 billion, including property, vehicles, business disruption and expense of temporary accommodation
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Insurance claims
27,000 private claims, 6,800 business claims
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Agriculture
Crops submerged and hay destroyed due to sewage
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Environmental
1000s of small mammals drowned, ground nesting birds disrupted, fish left on floodplain when water receded
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Loss
Temporary accommodation for those forced to leave homes, Severn Trent water authority distributed 5 million litres per day of bottled water and 1500 water bowsers, £87 million to schools, transports and businesses
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Evaluation
Due to the flashy flood + unexpected magnitude, it was appropriate to modify the loss
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Event - temporary flood barriers
Government pledge to increase spending by £200 million to £800 million by 2011
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Evaluation
Spending on flood defences doubled 1997-2007, however, other than temporary flood barriers in Upton-on-Severn and raising the Gloucester embankments, there are no plans to increase defences
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Vulnerability
Flood warnings on TV, radio and the EA 'flood line', with 3 levels of alert: flood watch, flood warning and severe flood warning. Effective and widely distributed, but relies on individuals' efficiency.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Human causes

Back

Building on the floodplain - Tewkesbury and Upton-on-Severn lack flood defences, urbanisation, drainage of farmland increases transfer of water into rivers

Card 3

Front

What happened?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

Electricity

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

Water

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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