Impacts of Flooding + Case Study

Question 1

Impacts of flooding (On People)
Loss of Life?

Answer 1

In the somerset floods no-one lost their life

Question 2

Impacts of flooding (On Property)
Damage to property

Answer 2

Over 600 homes were flooded causing considerable damage to both buildings and possessions

Almost 7000 hectares of farmland was flooded and framers struggled to cope with flooded fields ruined crops and need to move livestock

Infrastructure was damaged. Roads became unusable and so villages such as mulcheny were cut off

Question 3

Impacts of flooding
Insurance cover

Answer 3

The cost of insurance claims across the Uk as a result of winter flooding to be around 450 million pounds

Question 4

Impacts on the Environment
Pollution

Answer 4

Microbiologists found highly elevated levels of bacteria when they tested floodwaters in sommerset 2014

Overflowing drains
Sewage from septic tanks
Pesticides on farmland
Toxic chemicals from industrial sites
Debris that is washed down rivers

Question 5

When does flooding occur

Answer 5

flooding occurs when, temporarily there is an extra amount of water in the rivers system and the water in the channel overflows (overbankfull); the result is the water covers the sorrounding land (floodplain) which is normally dry

Question 6

Physical and Human causes for river flooding

Answer 6

Physical
1. Prolonged Rainfall
2. Heavy Rainfall
3. Nature of underlying rock
4. Small drainage basin

Human
Deforestation
Urbanisation
Building a bridge

Question 7

What are the somerset levels

Answer 7

The somerset levels are a flat landscape covering 650sq in the country of somerset. Thousands of years ago the area was covered by sea but it is now drained and is a landscape of rivers and wetlands. Between December 2013 and February 2014 there was exstensive flooding at the heigh 65sq, the majority being along the river parret.

Question 8

Physical Causes & Human Causes somerset flooding.

Answer 8

Physical Causes
- Prolonged rainfall: In january 2014 in south england rainfall totaled 183.8mm it was 200% higher than the average for that month
- Saturated Ground: the rainfall caused the ground to become saturated preventing infiltration and causing overland flow.
Low lying land: much of the area includes low lying farmland and wetlands sorrounding river parret this land is at or just above sea level increasing flood risk.

Human Causes

-Land drainage: Draining of natural sea bed for agriculture. Villages and wetlands over 650sq likely to have increased area vulnerability to flooding.
Changing land use
-Impermeable surfaces created by settlements such as taunton and yeovil may have added flood risk as the surfaces caused more overland flow.