Case Study 1: Flooding, Boscastle, North Cornwall 16 August 2004
Location:
Boscastle is the only natural harbour for 20 miles along the North Cornwall Coast. For a hundred years the village was a thriving port, but the coming of the railways, whilst ending the isolation of North Cornwall, soon saw its decline as a trading port. Since then however, Boscastle has developed as a tourist destination with thousands of people visiting the village every Summer.
Boscastle village, clings to the side of the Valency valley. The High Streethave many properties with traditional stone and slate porches, and large slate flagstones leading up the garden path. Amongst the tourist attractions are Craft shops, a Witches Museum, a disused watermill, even a bakers and fruit shop. Old inns such as the Cobweb, and the Napoleon.
Effects:
Cars were swept out to sea, bridges were washed away and people clung to rooftops and trees for safety as torrential rain hit the area.
Emerg
ency workers mounted a huge operation to rescue residents and holidaymakers along a 32-km (20-mile) stretch of the north Cornwall coast around Boscastle.
Eyewitness Account:
"Within an hour of arriving there as a tourist, I watched 80 cars being picked up like dinky toys and doing their convoluted dance out to sea. Within three hours half a bridge was washed away, many buildings were destroyed, people's houses and possessions floated away, roads were lifted up and crashed down onto cars like the jaws of a monster masticating its prey."
Seven helicopters from the Coastguard, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force hovered overhead, winching people trapped by the churning brown waters to safety.
As the tide and the flood waters receded on Tuesday morning, police divers searched the harbour as a police "body recovery" team stood by.
Cars, boulders and uprooted trees were strewn through the streets. Some shops had been torn in half by the floodwaters, which struck at 1445 GMT.
At the flood's peak some roads were submerged under 2.75 metres (9 feet) of water, and rescuers described the village as "devastated".
Damage to property:
The Museum of Witchcraft has been severely affected by the floods.
The Museum of Witchcraft, houses the world’s largest collection of witchcraft related artefacts and regalia. The museum has been located in Boscastle for over forty years and is amongst Cornwall’s most popular museums.
Almost 50% of the artefacts in the storeroom of The Museum of Witches were lost, and due to the fact access was almost impossible for nearly three weeks the silt had time to destroy quite a lot of the pieces.
Cause:
The flash flood at Boscastle was caused by a collision of winds. The day had been very warm, drawing in sea breezes along the coast.
When they joined forces with a wet southerly air flow they shot upwards with a dangerous mix of warm, moist, highly unstable air. Nearby Bodmin Moor thrust up the air mass even higher.
A line of thunderclouds rocketed over 10km high, their tops streaming into anvil shapes as high-level winds swept air away from the storm, helping suck more air from below. The thunderclouds grew so tall that they created intense downpours leading to more than 5 inches of rain falling around Boscastle in just a few hours, and possibly more over higher ground.
With the ground already saturated from recent rains, the storm waters were funnelled down steep river valleys and burst
Huge funnels:
Whilst torrential rain is key to the onset of flash flooding, the drainage and topography of the surrounding area determines the scale and impact of the event. When there is torrential rain that cannot be soaked up or drained away, this leads to ‘run-off’ – water running over the soil rather than sinking into it.
This run-off can cause localised but severe flooding. In places such as Boscastle, steep-sided valleys can act as huge funnels for this water, channelling it very quickly down to the sea, and sometimes with devastating results for local communities.
Effect on tourism:
About 90% of Boscastle’s economy is dependent on tourism. After the flood, more than 20 accommodation providers were forced to shup, many of them individually owned bed and breakfasts. As about two thirds of the business is done during the six week school holiday, the effects were even more devastating with half the three weeks remaining.
Boscastle is the only natural harbour for 20 miles along the North Cornwall Coast. For a hundred years the village was a thriving port, but the coming of the railways, whilst ending the isolation of North Cornwall, soon saw its decline as a trading port. Since then however, Boscastle has developed as a tourist destination with thousands of people visiting the village every Summer.
Boscastle village, clings to the side of the Valency valley. The High Streethave many properties with traditional stone and slate porches, and large slate flagstones leading up the garden path. Amongst the tourist attractions are Craft shops, a Witches Museum, a disused watermill, even a bakers and fruit shop. Old inns such as the Cobweb, and the Napoleon.
Effects:
Cars were swept out to sea, bridges were washed away and people clung to rooftops and trees for safety as torrential rain hit the area.
Emerg
ency workers mounted a huge operation to rescue residents and holidaymakers along a 32-km (20-mile) stretch of the north Cornwall coast around Boscastle.Eyewitness Account:
"Within an hour of arriving there as a tourist, I watched 80 cars being picked up like dinky toys and doing their convoluted dance out to sea. Within three hours half a bridge was washed away, many buildings were destroyed, people's houses and possessions floated away, roads were lifted up and crashed down onto cars like the jaws of a monster masticating its prey."
Seven helicopters from the Coastguard, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force hovered overhead, winching people trapped by the churning brown waters to safety.
As the tide and the flood waters receded on Tuesday morning, police divers searched the harbour as a police "body recovery" team stood by.
Cars, boulders and uprooted trees were strewn through the streets. Some shops had been torn in half by the floodwaters, which struck at 1445 GMT.
At the flood's peak some roads were submerged under 2.75 metres (9 feet) of water, and rescuers described the village as "devastated".
Damage to property:
The Museum of Witchcraft has been severely affected by the floods.
The Museum of Witchcraft, houses the world’s largest collection of witchcraft related artefacts and regalia. The museum has been located in Boscastle for over forty years and is amongst Cornwall’s most popular museums.
Almost 50% of the artefacts in the storeroom of The Museum of Witches were lost, and due to the fact access was almost impossible for nearly three weeks the silt had time to destroy quite a lot of the pieces.
Cause:
The flash flood at Boscastle was caused by a collision of winds. The day had been very warm, drawing in sea breezes along the coast.
When they joined forces with a wet southerly air flow they shot upwards with a dangerous mix of warm, moist, highly unstable air. Nearby Bodmin Moor thrust up the air mass even higher.
A line of thunderclouds rocketed over 10km high, their tops streaming into anvil shapes as high-level winds swept air away from the storm, helping suck more air from below. The thunderclouds grew so tall that they created intense downpours leading to more than 5 inches of rain falling around Boscastle in just a few hours, and possibly more over higher ground.
With the ground already saturated from recent rains, the storm waters were funnelled down steep river valleys and burst
Huge funnels:
Whilst torrential rain is key to the onset of flash flooding, the drainage and topography of the surrounding area determines the scale and impact of the event. When there is torrential rain that cannot be soaked up or drained away, this leads to ‘run-off’ – water running over the soil rather than sinking into it.
This run-off can cause localised but severe flooding. In places such as Boscastle, steep-sided valleys can act as huge funnels for this water, channelling it very quickly down to the sea, and sometimes with devastating results for local communities.
Effect on tourism:
About 90% of Boscastle’s economy is dependent on tourism. After the flood, more than 20 accommodation providers were forced to shup, many of them individually owned bed and breakfasts. As about two thirds of the business is done during the six week school holiday, the effects were even more devastating with half the three weeks remaining.
The Response:
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