GeoActiveGeoActive 225 WHEN THE RAINS CAME – THE by Naomi Peirce EASTER 1998 FLOODS HE EASTER FLOODS OF T1998 (Figure 1) were the worst on record at many locations in a 5000km2 area bounded by Bedford to the east, Evesham to the west, Peterborough to the north and Oxford to the south, with estimates of insured and uninsured losses in excess of £350 million. Five people lost their lives directly or indirectly as a result of the flood (Figure 2), and six months later some people were still without a permanent home. What caused this flooding? How were people affected? What lessons can be learned? These are the questions that will be dealt with in Figure 1: Flooding in St James, Northampton – Easter 1998 this unit, which focuses on the Source: Courtesy of Paul Duckett experiences of the communities of St James and Far Cotton in 14-year-old boy drowns Woman drowns falling N Northampton. while helping to deliver from a narrow-boat milk near Leamington into River Nene Setting the scene Northampton lies 13 km east of Daventry and 17 km west of Milton Peterborough Woman found Keynes, at the confluence of the Leamington drowned in her house River Nene’s main tributaries, the Stratford Northampton Evesham Brampton Branch and the Newport Pagnell Banbury Kislingbury Branch (Figure 3). There are three Anglian Water supply reservoirs upstream, and Man in Gwent collapses and dies of several smaller flood storage hypothermia Man drowns in caravan park near reservoirs, which should have Evesham helped the town on the night of Key Thursday 9 April 1998. 0 km 100 Worst-affected area The majority of the Far Cotton and Figure 2: The extent of the flooding St James areas of Northampton were developed in the 19th century, core elements of the flood defences By Tuesday 7 April a cool northerly and these areas had a history of in 1998 dated from this time. airflow covered the UK, and an area flooding. However, although of low pressure formed near significant development and Bank holiday weather Iceland. On 8 April this depression redevelopment had resulted in a loss April 1998 was exceptionally wet, moved southwards across the UK. of floodplain, flood defences were with up to 3.2 times the average As the front moved across southern considered to be adequate. There monthly rainfall totals over much of England on 9 April, thunderstorms had been no major flooding in England and Wales. broke out ahead of it. These Northampton since 1939, and the thunderstorms, although not Series 11 Summer issue Unit 225 When the Rains Came – the Easter 1998 Floods © 2000 Stanley Thornes (Publishers) Ltd GeoActive This page may be photocopied for use within the purchasing institution only. Page 1 of 4 Power supplies were cut off, and as Key Brampton Branch most people were asleep in their Main river N Canal beds, there was little time to take Brixworth Catchment action to reduce damage. boundary Pitsford Town Reservoir There were two deaths in the Village Long Buckby Northampton area: Mrs Chalieo NORTHAMPTON Spence was swept to her death from a narrow boat at South Bridge, and Mrs Frances Fisher of St James was DAVENTRY drowned in her home by rising n e R. Ne Newnham Nether Billing floodwater from which she was Heyford Aquadrome Kislingbury Kislingbury unable to escape. Weedon Northampton Branch Washlands Bugbrooke Everdon Wootton A mass evacuation operation was Hackleton launched, with lorries, trucks and Horton Wootton Brook small boats transporting residents to 0km10 Goldings Middle School and a church hall, both on higher ground. Some residents were stranded in Figure 3: The Northampton catchment their flooded homes for more than 12 hours before rescuers were able directly responsible for the which masked the severity of the to get to them; many of them flooding that followed, certainly event. suffered from shock as a result of resulted in the ground reaching • Flow measuring stations were their experiences. Local companies, saturation point in many areas. A poorly placed for flood monitoring including Tesco and Sainsbury’s, blocking anticyclone over and quickly became overwhelmed helped out with emergency food Scandinavia meant that the rain- or were by-passed altogether. supplies at the request of the St bearing winds remained virtually • Forecasting did not take into James Residents Association. stationary over the Midlands for account that reservoirs upstream of almost two days. the town were full prior to the Counting the cost storm. Most of the rain fell in a band By 10 April water polluted with • River channels were poorly sewage, heavy metals and mercury about 300 km long and between 50 maintained in some places, with had swept through 2,500 and 100 km wide, stretching from trees and debris reducing the the Black Mountains in South storage capacity of the channel. properties. Contaminated water now posed a serious health risk. Wales to the north of • Flood defences were poorly Cambridgeshire. Many of the areas Northampton Borough Council maintained and funded – some issued an advice leaflet on how to affected received more than 75 mm defences had 4 metre gaps in them. of rain – equivalent to 6 weeks of deal with cleaning up (Figure 4). • Some ordinary watercourses and average rainfall – in a 36-hour drainage systems within the area Once the rains stopped it was still period. were in a poor condition, and this going to be a long while before probably added to the length, size things returned to normal for the It was a combination of persistently and depth of the flood. residents of St James and Far heavy rain falling on already near- Cotton. One in three households in saturated ground that caused the Arrangements for direct warnings St James was uninsured; 5,000 cars rivers to rise so rapidly, to levels to the public were not in place, as in the area were written off. Many that were as high as or higher than the Environment Agency did not people were so traumatised by any on record. see Northampton as being a high- events that they felt unable to return risk area. None of the residents of to their homes. Council tenants There can be little doubt that these St James knew that they were living were given the option of being exceptional weather conditions in a flood-risk area, so the flood permanently re-housed elsewhere would have resulted in some came as a total shock. and, at its peak, there were 60 flooding in Northampton, houses for sale in the flood-affected regardless of human intervention. The floods arrive area of St James. The Borough Several human factors, however, During the night of 9/10 April 1998 Council estimates its own expenses combined to make the situation more than 2,400 properties in as a result of the flood to be worse. Northampton were affected. Many somewhere in the region of £6 • Flood forecasting was handicapped residents have commented on the million. Figure 5 sets out just a few by insufficient rainfall information speed at which the floodwaters rose. of the stories of that night. GeoActive Series 11 Summer issue Unit 225 When the Rains Came – the Easter 1998 Floods © 2000 Stanley Thornes (Publishers) Ltd Page 2 of 4 This page may be photocopied for use within the purchasing institution only. CLEANING UP Implications The Easter 1998 floods highlighted • Wash silt from walls, floors and hard furniture repeatedly with hot the controversy surrounding soapy water and then disinfectant. floodplain development. The Borough Council argued that all • Clean food preparation surfaces developments had been subject to and kitchen cupboards with food- planning permission and that safe disinfectant. adequate flood protection measures • Put clothing, bedding and soft had been taken. Now, the Borough furnishings on a hot wash, or have Council will not grant planning them cleaned professionally. permission for any new greenfield • Scrub away oil or diesel, using development on the floodplain, but detergent. admits that it finds it far more • Wash hands carefully if they have difficult to refuse planning been in contact with floodwater or permission on existing brownfield silt. sites. Northampton is the sixth fastest-growing town in the UK, Figure 4: Advice from with an average of 2,000 new Figure 6: Poster advertising the Northampton Borough Council inhabitants arriving each year, and public meeting with the the Council must balance the risk of Environment Agency another severe flood against the Local businesses lost thousands of need to continue to encourage new warning sirens – two in Far Cotton pounds’ worth of stock. Even more industrial and residential and two in St James – to alert business was lost as shops were developments in the town. residents to the risk of flooding as forced to remain closed for months early as possible. The issue of flood until repairs were completed. Many, The Environment Agency finally sirens is complicated. Many would like the Majestic Wine Warehouse, agreed to a public meeting on 6 rather have seen more money used were unable to open until July or October 1998 (Figure 6), six to prevent flooding than to warn August. months after the flood. There they residents that a flood is about to were grilled by angry and frustrated happen. Residents are also The Northampton Flood Relief residents who wanted to know why concerned about the effect that Fund was established and over the flood happened, and what was these very visible reminders of the £160,000 was collected to help going to be done to make sure that risk of flooding will have on house flood victims. For many, however, it never happened again. prices. money could not replace the years of accumulated possessions and Following much discussion with A total of £6 million will be spent memories that had been washed local residents, the Environment by the Environment Agency over away.