York flooded

Nothing less than incompetence on a huge scale.

Still, it's so comforting to know that the priorities are in the wrong right place.

Yes, this one is looking like gross incompetence - and throwing away money that should have stayed in this country.

I see the US has been hit even worse:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/12/28/week-severe-weather-leaves-at-least-43-dead-across-seven-states.html

Blizzard conditions were the latest subset of extreme weather to hit the heartland Sunday after a string of severe storms left at least 43 people dead across seven states over the previous four days.

Heavy snow fell across New Mexico, west Texas and the Oklahoma Panhandle, even as residents of the Dallas area began to assess the damage from Saturday's string of at least nine tornadoes that swept through the region, killing at least 11 people.

Local officials estimated as many as 1,450 homes were damaged or destroyed. Vehicles were mangled, power lines fell and trees were toppled. Heavy rain, wind and falling temperatures hampered cleanup efforts Sunday afternoon.

"This is a huge impact on our community, and we're all suffering," Garland Police Lt. Pedro Barineau said of the suburb about 20 miles northeast of Dallas, where eight people died, 15 were injured and about 600 structures, mostly single-family homes, were damaged.

The National Weather Service said an EF-4 tornado, which is the second-most powerful with winds up to more than 200 mph, hit the community at about 6:45 p.m. Saturday. It was near the intersection of Interstate 30 and George Bush Turnpike, which is a major route in the region. At least three people who died were found in vehicles, said Barineau, who also noted that some cars appeared to be thrown from the interstate, though it wasn't known whether that was how the people found in the vehicles died.

And no, the UK's problems are NOT caused by 'global warming'. This old map, as well as those above, may give a bit of a clue...

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/6824545/Seconds-from-death-Terrifying-footage-shows-moment-driver-is-saved-from-submerged-Land-Rover-in-UKs-raging-floods.html

The Moss Barrier which, protects the city, was lifted as water had entered the flood defence building and it was feared it could cause an electrical failure.

If the electrics stopped working The Environment Agency said they would not have been able to pump water out of the town.

Had the barrier became stuck in the 'down' position, it would have been impossible to discharge water into the River Ouse.

Actually, that excuse for this shambles doesn't make sense. There are these big things called 'water pumps'.



Dutch pumps in Somerset last year.

http://www.historyofyork.org.uk/themes/a-city-protected-by-water

The Romans chose York’s location partly because the rivers provided natural defensive barriers on two sides. A thousand years later the same principle was used to extend the city’s defences. Extensive man-made waterways were created around the city as further barriers against attack.

It began with the Norman Conquest; William I ordered water from the River Foss to be diverted to fill a moat around the castle at York (from about 1068). Damming the River Foss to supply water for the moat caused large-scale flooding. The flooded area became known as the King’s Fishpond and, though the water has long since gone, the area still retains the name ‘Foss Islands’.

Another great defensive project took place in the thirteenth century. In about 1215, a water-filled ditch was dug around the perimeter of the city, running the length of the walls on the sides not protected by the rivers.

The water-filled ditch was 50 feet wide and 10 feet deep and the moat around the castle around 30 feet wide and a similar depth. The scale of these lost features is difficult to imagine today but visible evidence of the ditch does still remain, along Nunnery Lane, Lord Mayor’s Walk and Jewbury. Click here for a satellite image on Google Maps.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.961615,-1.076059,246m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en

As that appears to be the area currently under water, no, it actually isn't difficult to imagine. More attention to old names like 'The King's fishpond' and less to 'environmental experts' might help matters enormously.

No Bonny. The environmentalists have been given job titles. They must live up to them whatever the cost.

It's most likely not affecting them.......

Scary photo from Sky.

They had the same photo in the Daily Wail yesterday. It was surreal to look at it. I really feel for everyone affected by this.

Unfortunately, Lily, there's another round of bad weather due in later today. There's also a lot of anger in the affected areas, as a great deal of this damage was NOT caused by 'global warming', but by human stupidity and greed.

Building on historic flood plains, not dredging rivers because of some stupid EU directive, sending money overseas that was needed here, having flood gate controls in the part most likely to flood.....you get the picture.

Sandbags and gladrags - how our gilded elite betrayed the sodden masses, writes RICHARD LITTLEJOHN

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-3376939/RICHARD-LITTLEJOHN-gilded-elite-betrayed-sodden-masses.html#ixzz3vjb1UQEz
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Excellent rant on the subject - it covers just about every cause of this shambles.

That is unbelievable and totally out of order. I guess its incompetence as usual?

Someone must be laughing their heads off?

Terrible floods in the US, too:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/12/30/officials-warn-thousands-homes-in-missouri-illinois-threatened-by-floods.html?intcmp=hpbt1

ST. LOUIS – Federal officials were monitoring 19 vulnerable levees on the rising Mississippi River and its tributaries, warning that hundreds of homes in Illinois and Missouri could be threatened by a rare winter flood that already forced the partial closure of interstate highways and widespread evacuations.
As the swollen rivers and streams pushed to virtually unheard-of heights Tuesday, an unknown number of inmates were transferred out of an Illinois state prison threatened by flooding and Missouri's governor activated the National Guard to help divert traffic from submerged roads.
Record flooding was projected in some Mississippi River towns after several days of torrential rain that also caused sewage to flow unfiltered into waterways.
The Meramec River near St. Louis was expected to get to more than 3 feet above the previous record by late this week.
At least 18 deaths over several days in Missouri and Illinois were blamed on flooding, mostly involving vehicles that drove onto swamped roadways.
The river on Tuesday spilled over the top of the levee at West Alton, Missouri, about 20 miles north of St. Louis. Mayor William Richter ordered any of the town's approximate 520 residents who had not already evacuated to get out of harm's way.
Across the river, in Alton, Illinois, dozens of volunteers helped place sandbags ahead of where water is expected to rise.
Mayor Brant Walker said in a statement that "even with our best efforts of sandbagging and pumping," flooding was expected at least in the basements of the downtown business district....etc




This seems to be genuinely caused by bad weather, though, not utter incompetence?

Yes Bonny, it is. The incompetence shown in York is staggering.

High drama....

http://news.sky.com/story/1614391/twelve-people-stuck-on-bus-in-floodwater



Emergency services are trying to rescue around 12 people who are stuck on a bus in Scotland that has been caught in floodwater.

Police Scotland, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, the Royal Navy and the coastguard are all on the scene of the incident in Dailley, South Ayrshire.

Eyewitness Joanne Clanahan told Sky News the bus got about halfway through the floodwater before getting stuck, and added she believes no one has managed to get out of the vehicle so far.

:: Over 100 Flood Warnings As Storm Frank Hits UK

A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokeswoman said: "I can confirm we've been called in by police to assist with an incident where a bus and some occupants have been trapped in some flood water."

Unpleasant and cold though it will be on the bus, I do think calling in the Navy is going a bit too far, I am sure the fire brigade and coastguards can manage....

STV:



Flooding: Bus caught in water in Dailly. Nicola Stewart

I would ask what on earth he was doing, driving into that, but I see it's a Stagecoach bus, which answers the question....

Scotsman ‏@TheScotsman 2h2 hours ago
Scotsman Retweeted Scotsman
Police saying that ten passengers have now been airlifted from the bus and taken to Girvan Hospital

I hope the bus driver has a good explanation....

Just about anywhere in Scotland that's low-lying and next to a river has flooded today, but it doesn't seem to have been worsened by incompetent officials.

We have, however, had one idiot in a kayak needing rescued, and two idiot women body-boarders getting hauled out of the Forth by lifeboat.

bb1 wrote:

OMG..

Are Stagecoach drivers usually that thick?

The company name is well-chosen, Lily - The Stagecoach bus must always get through!

Has it got through yet?