House flooded, contents destroyed, no power for 48 hours

[BigGully]

This time it went up the railway track and past the crossing next to Newhaven Town station, a railway employee told me it was the worst flooding for over 40 years, I have only lived here since 2001 and I have never seen it that bad.

Its an interesting point, I was talking to friends the other night, we agreed the weather hasnt been particularly extreme, no matter what the media try and hype it up.

The storm last Friday was a windy rainy night, we have about three of them a year, it certainly wasnt 1987.

But there seemed quite major disruption, why ?

We concluded that perhaps companies/departments make different decisions than ten years ago, there seems a mindset of closure and adverse risk decisions being made impacting on us all.

I am not saying this is wrong, just different.

Knowing that it hasnt been extraordinarily wet as apposed to some previous years but Newhaven train service was disrupted.

Maybe, someone somewhere just made a different decision than years past.

Just a thought .....

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Its an interesting point, I was talking to friends the other night, we agreed the weather hasnt been particularly extreme, no matter what the media try and hype it up.

The storm last Friday was a windy rainy night, we have about three of them a year, it certainly wasnt 1987.

But there seemed quite major disruption, why ?

We concluded that perhaps companies/departments make different decisions than ten years ago, there seems a mindset of closure and adverse risk decisions being made impacting on us all.

I am not saying this is wrong, just different.

Knowing that it hasnt been extraordinarily wet as apposed to some previous years but Newhaven train service was disrupted.

Maybe, someone somewhere just made a different decision than years past.

Just a thought .....

The flooding in Newhaven wasn't due to rain but a tidal surge. We get high tides, neap and spring but tidal surges are rarer.

 

[drew]

You also said "what is this RUBBISH about caravans"

Your phraseology suggested that was what you were entitled to and that it was the norm.

 

[BN9 BHA]

Its an interesting point, I was talking to friends the other night, we agreed the weather hasnt been particularly extreme, no matter what the media try and hype it up.

The storm last Friday was a windy rainy night, we have about three of them a year, it certainly wasnt 1987.

But there seemed quite major disruption, why ?

We concluded that perhaps companies/departments make different decisions than ten years ago, there seems a mindset of closure and adverse risk decisions being made impacting on us all.

I am not saying this is wrong, just different.

Knowing that it hasnt been extraordinarily wet as apposed to some previous years but Newhaven train service was disrupted.

Maybe, someone somewhere just made a different decision than years past.

Just a thought .....

I'm not sure if the railway line has been flooded that badly for years, one or two pictures were posted on here from twitter that day, I saw pictures on a railway website and the grids next to the level crossing next to Newhaven Town station were washed down the track, I think the salt water damaged electrics on the tracks.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

I wonder what would happen if every household had at least one water butt collection rainwater? Would it have an effect?

 

[BN9 BHA]

Your phraseology suggested that was what you were entitled to and that it was the norm.

.
No I did not, I was replying to your post to Pogue Mahone #112.
I was stating some facts on what I saw when employed In Lewes on the flood damage repairs.
You said what was this rubbish about caravans, what did you mean by that then?

 

[BigGully]

The flooding in Newhaven wasn't due to rain but a tidal surge. We get high tides, neap and spring but tidal surges are rarer.

Again the statement from ESCC reads

The tidal surge in the area was higher than expected – between 20 to 30cm – and resulted in between 50 and 100 properties in the Railway Road area being affected by flooding, as well as the closure of the railway line between Lewes and Seaford.

This doesn't particularly indicate some historic tidal surge, so disruption seems to be greater whilst the surge doesn't seem to be extraordinarily high or unprecedented.

Just perhaps it is effecting areas that otherwise hadnt had houses or train tracks, or the decision processes are different.

 

[beorhthelm]

Just perhaps it is effecting areas that otherwise hadnt had houses or train tracks, or the decision processes are different.

did you not see the pictures at Newhaven of the tracks under a foot of water? what decision would you have made?

 

[drew]

.
No I did not, I was replying to your post to Pogue Mahone #112.
I was stating some facts on what I saw when employed In Lewes on the flood damage repairs.
You said what was this rubbish about caravans, what did you mean by that then?

Apologies. Yes, it was the comment by Pogue Mahone that suggested that you get a caravan. That is not the norm. I said it was rubbish because in my experience of handling claims from a brokers perspective, you always seek to get people into a short term let. A caravan would be way down the list of options. In many cases where you see caravans it is due to a lack of insurance and they have been sourced by a local authority who have nowhere else to put people.

 

[BigGully]

did you not see the pictures at Newhaven of the tracks under a foot of water? what decision would you have made?

No I didnt, it isnt relevant to my point.

The point being made wasnt that every decision is wrong, but those processes might be different.

Weather issues that might have made very little disruption say twenty years ago, now seem to cause more disruption now.

It was mentioned that the risk thresholds have changed and effect the decisions made.

Leaves on the line, wrong type of snow etc etc, we have all heard them.

It was discussed that the disruption caused might be disproportionate to the risk posed.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Weather issues that might have made very little disruption say twenty years ago, now seem to cause more disruption.

Or, do you think it's possible that twenty years ago, you'd only have heard about these issues on the news or in the local papers, and if anyone wanted to complain about their treatment, they'd have to write to the Argus (or whatever) and wait for their edited letter to appear three days later.

Whereas now, the advent of the internet, 24 hour rolling news channels and social media like Twitter give people a platform to voice their discontent, and to share it with hundreds, thousands or even millions more, thus creating a bandwagon for others to jump on?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

We have some friends in Ringmer who have just had their electricity restored after 120 hours (five days) without it.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

No I didnt, it isnt relevant to my point.

The point being made wasnt that every decision is wrong, but those processes might be different.

Weather issues that might have made very little disruption say twenty years ago, now seem to cause more disruption now.

It was mentioned that the risk thresholds have changed and effect the decisions made.

Leaves on the line, wrong type of snow etc etc, we have all heard them.

It was discussed that the disruption caused might be disproportionate to the risk posed.

20 years ago? 'Wrong kind of snow' was coined in 1991 (not by British Rail), and leaves on the line is a genuine problem that is more acute nowadays than before, because of modern light-weight trains with disc-brakes compared to older models with block brakes.

As for leaves on the line, that is something that didn't use problem,

 

[Leighgull]

All we need now is for Allsop and co. to start a show called "escape from the country" where a pair of middle aged retiree stockbrokers with a budget of, oh let's say, a million pounds are rescued from the roof of their converted barn in Yalding or Tenterden and airlifted to the top of a high rise in tower hamlets.

Oh, the humanity.

 

[queens park pete]

I wonder what would happen if every household had at least one water butt collection rainwater? Would it have an effect?

I think if you saw the amount of water in the now flooded Brooks at Amberley and Pulborough, you might want to reconsider this waterbutt approach- effectively 2 new "lakes" about 3 miles north to south and at least a mile across. And it looks like the Medway and the Wey are even worse!
Great idea for your summer lawn though!

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I think if you saw the amount of water in the now flooded Brooks at Amberley and Pulborough, you might want to reconsider this waterbutt approach- effectively 2 new "lakes" about 3 miles north to south and at least a mile across. And it looks like the Medway and the Wey are even worse!
Great idea for your summer lawn though!

I think we're going to need a bigger butt

 

[Husty]

I wonder what would happen if every household had at least one water butt collection rainwater? Would it have an effect?

Since the majority of flooding is in rural areas I can't imagine a lot would change.