I emailed him last night and all seems well as i think he is elevated (But not to pope status yet'' Looking at the news this morning in and around Exeter /Devon its really out of control and there is more to come.
I'm standing on tip toes this morning so I think I should be okay, thanks Megs. Thank Cliff for my high heels though. Looking out the window across the estuary though the visible water is easily twice as wide as Normal at the moment, but we're only about 30' above sea level here so that tends to magnify it a bit. It looks like we're going to get twatted by it again this afternoon. Some poor bastard got killed by a falling tree in the city centre last night. The wind sounded like it was punching the house last night but there's not much elevation between us and Brittany. The pale line just below the row of white houses in the background is the course of the river. Houses in the fore ground are opposite my end of the road. Everything between the two is where Teignbridge council is itching to build houses. This lovely shot of the river actually isn't. It's the meadow from the fore ground of the first image. And so is this, with the M5 flyover. And so is this from the footbridge over the railway line looking back at the village. Wellies this afternoon I think.
It's now been hammering down for the last 6 hours and just seen on the news that the village behind us and about 100 metres above us has flooded. It's too dark to see across the river now. Perhaps it's just as well. I'd go upstairs but its a bungalow.
Cheers Martin. I'm sure we'll be okay. The parish councillor in the house got the EA to dredge the stream between us and the flood just last week so its got a bit of an out before it climbs that last few feet to us. There's a hell of a lot got well and truly twatted by it, poor buggers. I'll have a wander down the meadow and check it out before I turn in tonight, just for peace of mind.
I hope all those in low lying areas took good notice of the widespread warnings and move irreplaceble items upstairs / into loft - things like photos, documents, PC's and hard drives etc. electrical items etc. are actually quite cheap and easy to replace - things like clothes, shoes much harder - of course all those insurance companies who we all hate will be putting people in tempory accom. then spending about £50k per property on repairs and replacing items.
Just want to point out - that last bit about insurance was tongue in cheek - I work for one and know the lengths we go to in events like this to get people re-housed and then re-instate their homes - and the loss of photos etc. causes the greatest heartbreak.
Even Bert has decided to take steps to protect himself from the deluge. So he's reached across from the arm of the chair and sunk two sets of crampons into my thigh for security then promptly gone back to sleep.
And the developers will continue to build on the flood plains. Still here in the tropical Isle of Thanet we prepare for the next drought, probably February.
Fortunately for me I live at the top of a brow but just further down set on a flood plain next to the River Douglas and Rufford Canal lies an old textile mill. Planning has just been granted for 70 houses to replace the mill. Despite the only access being a narrow country lane that already has issues we're about to have at least another 100 vehicles squeezing through. The mill belongs to a local surveyors who also happen to have a man on the council..........deal done and screw what I think. When I moved here 6 years ago I struggled to get buildings insurance because I was 5m inside the 250m diameter of the flood plain. Only through persistence and providing proof was I able to convince the insurers that the whole of Preston would be under water before I was and managed to secure reasonable premiums.
Time for houses on stilts and paddy fields whist the NRA and privatised water companies continue to make a compete balls up and loads of money.
Looks like after tonight it's going to back off Si. The tide's on the wane too so it will drain for a bit before the next bout. GRRandeelion, mate, the NRA have been gone for 16 years dude.Lol.
Ken its been a long time since I was involved with the water industry, I suppose they've been replaced by some toothless quango or such.
