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It's wet up North!


JohnD

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Some video here from Borrowdale and Honiston Pass.   Don't know what they are doing on a North Yorkshire Weather Updates Fb page, unless there's been an invasion from Pickering that no one noticed.

And if the Honistion Slate Mine, what is at the top of the Pass is flooded, then we are all doomed!

https://www.facebook.com/NorthYorkshireWeatherUpdates

John

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Well, Pete, no!

Rather than completely redesign the electricty distribution system, the substation has been raised:

The electricity substation in Caton Road has been raised off the ground

Previously a flood wall had been built around it, which was overtopped, so I hope that the designers got their calcs righter than they did for Storm Desmond.

Building new flood defences has been in hand for some time, and will cost at least £12 million. £4 million of which was, AHEM! , from the EU!  See: https://www.lancaster.gov.uk/news/2021/oct/12-1m-flood-defences-in-caton-road-lancaster-officially-launched

Thing about Cumbria and Lancaster is that the geography of our rivers isn't like, say, the Severn.      Massive rainfall in either catchment can cause floods, but ours rapidly drains away.   The speed and force of the flow can cause damage by itself - EG Pooley Bridge https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cumbria-35856641.     The flood damage is the same, but at least we're not underwater as long.

JOhn

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Hi John,  The power of fast-flowing water is terrifying. Our house is at the bottom of a 300ft hillside right next - 15 feet away- to a stream that  drains ca 20 acres of pasture above us. In a deluge it can change in 20 min from a trickle to a brown, rock-entrained torrent. I am at present building a low wall 50  feet above the house to raise the leeway where the stream is likely to breach. Locals tell me that years ago the stream broke its sandy bank at that point,the flood entering through the rear stone wall and exiting through the front door. I  watch the rain forecasts with apprehension...

Peter

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I look at the storm damage and the erosion of the East coast from a warm and dry house in West London. Floods do not happen here where I am.

But that does not stop me feeling anger and deep annoyance at the Gov't. Not just this useless bundle of tripe but all the UK Gov't and parties.

They spend money like water on impressive ego schemes where they most likely line their pockets.

The HS2 is one such scheme. Is it needed - almost certainly for the future but not n today's climate.

We will end up with a railway between London and god knows where with the North Sea lapping on its Eastern embankment.

Imagine the jobs infrastructure that could be created if we set to and did something meaningful along the East coast and all the know regular flood areas in the country.

Utter bloody madness.

 

Roger

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Peter,

The flood defence walls along the Lune are both sides, but especially on the Caton Road side, where the Sub-station is:

https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire-news/pictures-show-work-progressing-new-19864210

The walls look like natural stone, but are, I think, prefabricated.    And I don't know how deep they are anchored in the ground, but given the long run of the walls, they must be reinforced to stop them being pushed over by four feet of water behind them.

Roger,

"Floods do not happen here where I am.   (West London)   Oh, yes they do!   https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-57963856

We don't need HS2, until the future?     France's TGV (Train Grande Vitesse (!)) recently celebrated is FORTIETH anniversary!   It's seen in the industry a great success!  https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/oct/28/tgv-shows-success-of-integrated-networks  

And saying that HS2 is a line from London "to God knows where" is, frankly, hideously London-centric!   It sure can be wet up North, but a lot of people and industry are here!

John

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Those London floods are very localised and not on a scale as seen in the North (repeatedly)

As for my 'god knows where ' comment only you would pick up on that.

You know quite well that since HS2 was proposed and even till now the destination is/has/will change.

Originally Birmingham - but!!!

 

Roger

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HS2…. Great white elephant….. very expensive white elephant.

Massive spend on a doubled-up service at a time when really the network needs expanding at a more local undoing the destruction of Beeching even. 

Then there are the rail services to the southwest, single route hostage to the sea at Dawlish……

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This is the bridge at Backbarrow, near Ulverston:

Backbarrow bridge - geograph.org.uk - 1226733.jpg

This the same site, this morning

https://www.facebook.com/stridingedge/videos/1741574066035501   Go full screen and turn the volume on, to be really frightened.

"Danger to life" in Cumbria, syas the Met Office.  After that no surprise!

https://www.lancs.live/news/local-news/cumbria-danger-life-met-office-21974384

John

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It's poisonous up North, too!

These have been found, washed up on seashores around Cumbria:

Highly poisonous plant washes up on Cumbria's beaches | News - CFM

They are NOT parsnips, but the roots of Water Hemlock, probably washed out of the shpre by storms.    They contain Oenanthotoxin, a potent GABA inhibitor (GABA is a brain neurotransmitter) that causes convulsions, seizures, nausea, diarrhea, tachycardia, mydriasis, rhabdomyolysis, renal failure, respiratory impairment, and cardiac dysrhythmias.  An extract of the roots is what killed Socrates and they are described as "extremely dengerous"!

Just sayin'

John

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It grows on water-logged river banks so for lots to appear on the sea-shore suggests a river has scoured away its bank somewhere. There's an acre of it near us -sheep wont even nibble it, the whole plant is toxic. But impressively fast-growing !

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We had a single example of poison hemlock grow in our garden this summer. Self seeded. Rapidly got to about 8 feet high. Not unattractive and I thought it was cow parsley. Fortunately, my wife knows about these things and one sniff of its mousy odour confirmed her suspicion as to its identity. We treated it pretty cautiously when we eventually cut it down. Didn't excavate the tap root but will do so if it emerges next year.

Miles

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