Great Britain, made up of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland is a beautiful country of rocky mountains and ancient inactive volcanoes; of vast moors and contrasting rugged highlands; of wide open flood planes, and white chalk coasts. Aside from it’s striking landscapes, Great Britain is known for its wet weather. Most rain in the UK is concentrated in the Northern and Western regions as warm winds come over the Atlantic bringing warm fronts. Rain starts in the Northwest and moves to the Southeast, gradually decreasing in strength as it travels. It’s not surprising, then, to find that the majority of Britain’s natural hazards are water related.
The most dangerous natural hazard I read about are floods. According to the UK government, flood damage per year costs around £1.1 billion. In the UK, heavy winter storms, poor drainage, and unethical building practices all contribute to flooding issues, and 5 million homes per year are at risk of flood damage. In the winter, flooding in crowded cities can be problematic due to poor drainage systems. Also, villages situated by the ocean could be at risk of flooding in the future thanks sea levels rising as a result of global warming.
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| Accoring to research done by the House of Commons Library, 55% of those living in flood-risk areas knew about the risk since they had taken preventative measures against floods. (Oliver Bennett, Sarah Hartwell-Naguib) |
To mitigate the issue of flooding within cities, I would urge British cities, especially ones with the greatest populations to improve infrastructure by spending money on grading streets in order for them to drain more properly. A government expenditure on preventing flooding would be worth it and could prevent the damage of hundreds of homes each year.
I would also do my best to raise awareness about the dangers of settling in lowlands close to rivers that can easily overflow.
If I were to build a home anywhere in Great Britain, my first choice would be in the Scottish highlands. While Scotland gets the brunt of the rainfall in Britain, the highlands are not known for having problems with flooding. Far from the ocean’s edge and high above sea level, it would be unlikely for a house in the highlands to be subject to a flood caused by sea-level rise. The moist conditions, as well as the abundant heather and moors make it almost impossible for wildfires to be a problem, therefore the area would be a very safe one to build a home.
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I agree with the flooding angle. This hazard is going to more and more important in the US in the coming years (have you all seen the current TX flooding of up to 40 ft higher water levels???). Last year's Disaster Conference mentioned the need for an education program focused on informing the population about where not to build and what to do when flooding happens. They want to call it something like 'The Flood-Out', following the successful program: the 'Shake-out' for quakes...Thank you for showing us Great Britain this semester, one of my favorite places so far!
ReplyDeleteKayley,
ReplyDeleteVery interesting post. I had no idea that flooding was such an issue in Great Britain, and so many homes were at risk each year. Unfortunate to hear that much of this could have been avoided by not developing houses in the middle of a flood plain. It is always so odd that development is allowed in land that is known to be a flood or any other risk. I would also agree the Scottish Highlands would be a great place to live in this area. Thank you for sharing.
You did a great job on your final post. I didn't know that flooding effects that many people in Great Britain. It's very sad that people in countries like Great Britain has that many victims due to poor construction plan.
ReplyDeleteI honestly wouldn't have thought there was so much damage due to floods. I would think their construction plans and build codes would be more tolerant of that, since they have a larger budget than other countries. Thank you for your post.
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