Coastal UK towns hit by Heavy Rain, flash floods
Pastor Dale Morgan
Coastal UK towns hit by Heavy Rain, flash floods*
(Filed: 25/09/2006)
Two coastal towns have been deluged after flash floods "overwhelmed"
drainage systems, causing tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage.
More than 90 properties - including schools and businesses - in Great
Yarmouth, Norfolk and Lowestoft, Suffolk were affected after the area
was hit by torrential rain, water company officials said.
Floods were said to be several feet deep in places in Great Yarmouth -
which was the worst hit area - and firefighters said they were receiving
four to five 999 calls a minute peak of the deluge.
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Anglian Water said the problems had been exacerbated by a blockage in a
pump at a drainage station.
An Anglian Water spokesman said:"It has been so heavy in the early hours
that the network has been overwhelmed.
"I don't know how much rain has fallen but it's been a huge amount."
Norfolk County Council said a number of schools in the Great Yarmouth
area had been closed.
"An emergency plan was put into operation - which involved the local
authorities and emergency services," a council spokesman said.
"The fire service was overwhelmed with 999 calls. We had between 200 and
300 calls over a four-and-a-half hour period. Four or five a minute."
The Environment Agency said the weather system which caused the deluge
began moving inland and breaking up in the afternoon.
A spokesman said 27 mm of rain had fallen on the Great Yarmouth area
from around 3pm on Sunday.
"It's actually fairly typical. We've had a hot spell last week and this
kind of torrential rain can follow," he said.
"It's flash-flooding caused by prolonged torrential rain. Not the sea or
rivers. The weathermen can predict rainfall but it's very hard to
predict where this kind of flooding can occur. Unlike when rivers rise -
when we can give some warning.
"The cause of this flooding is similar to the cause of the Boscastle
flood in 2004. Prolonged heavy rain. There it was obviously much worse
because there was a valley and the rain caused a river to flood."
He added: "The water should now drain away and there should be no
repeat. We are watching rivers in the area but there is no suggestion
that any will burst their banks in coming days."