Maybe this is a stupid question

[Steve M]

Water has always run off the hills into the valleys but it is said that the felling of trees and vegetation, this runoff can happen a lot faster. Factor in more concrete and tarmac and the runoff into drains ditches and rivers speeds up even more.

Now create a bottle neck for example a bridge across the river or a waterway constrained by man and eventually it will overflow.

Think of your kitchen sink, if you turn on the tap gently, the water will just drain away. But increase the flow from the tap to more than the plughole can cope with and the sink will overflow and ruin the kitchen floor.

There has also been an increase (particularly round here) of developers building vast housing estates on flood plains. The clue is in the name - they will flood from time to time and there is a reason why the land was cheap for them to buy in the first place.

The flood plain/housing floods, the residents call for more defences, and the runoff becomes more and more constrained - ie the kitchen sink fills up faster!

[Walkingthedog]

Building on flood plains has caused major problems as has concreting over front gardens. Instead of the water soaking into the ground it pours into the drains and they cannot cope.


Also there has always been major flooding but due to 24 hour news coverage you hear about it where ever it is instantly.

[Walkingthedog]

The answer is..........don’t ask the question.


Water has to go somewhere. Leave the plug in the wash basin and run the tap for an hour. That’s the problem, they are plugging the holes where the water used to soak away.

[teedoubleudee]

Thanks for that explanation ...........i`m not really thick lol

so the next question is ......... whats the answer

Cheers Tony

A very very large umbrella.

Sorry, couldn't resist

[IanS]

Thanks for that explanation ...........i`m not really thick lol

so the next question is ......... whats the answer

Cheers Tony

A very very large umbrella.

Sorry, couldn't resist

I can't resist either - an umbrella is not going to help, but investing in a small boat may!

[Walkingthedog]

If it’s a very large umbrella it can be used as a boat.

[glencairn]

Live on top of a hill!

Hat, coat ----

Glencairn

[IanS]

If it’s a very large umbrella it can be used as a boat.

It would have to be gigantic and exceptionally strong to hold my weight!

[Steve M]

Dragging the thread back to seriousness, there simply isn’t an answer. Water can be ‘encouraged’ away from areas but ultimately it is powerful enough to get anywhere it wants to. And it always has gravity on its side.
No contest.

[Tony House]

Hi

The drainage ditches streams and rivers need to be properly maintained, the uplands need to be managed to hold on to the rain fall so it does not just run off.

New builds need to be designed to be more flood proofed the threshold need to be raised on flood plains lets learn from the Dutch and Germans who live along rivers and steams. Retro fit older homes to be flood proofed, building flood defences only pushes the problem elsewhere or the water gets around the defences up stream. Jubilee River moved the flooding problem down stream from Windsor on to Datchet and on to Staines a couple of years ago.