Flooding in Great Britain

[tonyj]

We've been getting plenty of rain in S. Texas and most of the lakes and rivers are full to flooding, but nothing like the flooding in England.

Andrew--are you floating, or high and dry?

[angib]

Fine, thanks! I'm pretty much at the other end of the country (though that's only 300 miles away!) so I'm high, though not exactly dry.

Ain't global warming wonderful?

Andrew

[tonyj]

Glad to hear you're not affected. Water displacement is no fun unless you're a boat.

[SteveH]

Glad to hear you are not effected, Andrew. Our son and daughter-in-law moved from Bury St.Edmonds to Caimbridge a while back and we have not heard how they are doing. Hope they are also dry.

[tonyj]

Per the news reports, the flooding long the Thames is the worst in 60 years flooding water treatment plants and disrupting electrical service.

[SteveH]

Just got an e-mail back from my daughter-in-law and there is no flooding in Caimbridge. She says most of it is in the Western part of the country.

[angib]

Things are pretty bad in some places towards the South West of Britain - this flooding exceeds anything on record for 300 years - but it is only in a few places, so it's not an event on the scale of, say, the Asian Tsunami or even Katrina.

And in case you think the Brits might stop laughing at themselves (well, each other at least), here's a little home video (1 min, 3.8Mb) to make you think again:

http://s86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/ ... e779c3.flv

Andrew

[steve wolverton]

It's obvious they didn't drive *fast* enough through that water.

[asianflava]

That is like a clown car! I was looking at it thinking, "How many people are in that thing?"

[tonyj]

And are they gonna push it all the way to the scene of the crime?

[Bobgorilla]

Things are pretty bad in some places towards the South West of Britain - this flooding exceeds anything on record for 300 years - but it is only in a few places, so it's not an event on the scale of, say, the Asian Tsunami or even Katrina.

And in case you think the Brits might stop laughing at themselves (well, each other at least), here's a little home video (1 min, 3.8Mb) to make you think again:

http://s86.photobucket.com/albums/k115/ ... e779c3.flv

Andrew

Funny video! Andrew, I'm sure plenty of Brits helped with money, etc. during Katrina and the tsunami. Is there anything useful we can do from here for the flooding victims?

[angib]

Is there anything useful we can do from here for the flooding victims?

Thanks, but I think the things we can't do ourselves are the same things that outside help can't do - like, as the flooding recedes, we have a drinking water crisis in several places and there's a shortage of small road tankers that can carry the available water right to the bowsers (little local emergency distribution tanks) in small roads and streets that may be partially blocked. 5 miles away there are full-size semi-trailer tankers full of water, but they dare not send them in, in case they get stuck and prevent further deliveries.

Plus, to show you appalling behaviour exists everywhere at all times, some kids think it's amusing to open the taps on the bowsers so that the water empties into the street.....

Andrew

[asianflava]

Sorry, I had to look it up

Bowsers

England and India

In British English, it is used to describe wheeled water tankers (either automotive or towed) used to supply fresh water to areas hit by flooding, drought or when normal water distribution is unavailable for other reasons.[1]

[Podunkfla]

Pretty amazing Flickr slideshow here if you have a fast connection:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10472605@N ... ites/show/

[Bobgorilla]

Sorry, I had to look it up

Bowsers

England and India

In British English, it is used to describe wheeled water tankers (either automotive or towed) used to supply fresh water to areas hit by flooding, drought or when normal water distribution is unavailable for other reasons.[1]

They also have fuel bowsers, I learned what a bowser was when reading about the Battle of Britain as a kid. Andrew, I guessed as much but felt I had to ask.