'Rain like this happens once every 1,000 years' -- severe preciptiation in England

[steven johnson]

Source: Times Online

The full and devastating impact of England’s worst recorded day of rain was still emerging last night as tributes were paid to a policeman swept away by floodwaters while trying to save others.

PC Bill Barker was helping motorists stranded on a bridge over the Derwent in the Cumbrian town of Workington when it collapsed. His body was discovered hours later on a nearby beach.

The Environment Agency said that the flooding across the region was so severe that such an event was likely to happen only once in 1,000 years. The rainfall, on to an already saturated terrain, was the highest level measured in England since records began. Meteorologists recorded 314mm (12in) of rain in 24 hours and flood warnings remained in place across the North West of England, parts of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Emergency services continued to rescue those still trapped yesterday. They urged anyone who had gone to see the destruction for themselves to leave because their vehicles were blocking roads and hampering efforts to reach the worst-hit areas.In Cockermouth, the town worst hit by the flooding, people were winched from the waters. The two rivers that run through the town burst their banks, blocking roads and forcing the rescue of more than 200 people.

Read more: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6926363.ece

[DavidDvorkin]

1. From now on, it will happen much more frequently than that.

[Turborama]

2. It seems that every year it's 'the highest level measured in England since records began'

I can't believe there are still people out there who are denying there's a pattern and being taken seriously.

[Delphinus]

12. Too many of them

look at it as cyclic and nothing to worry about.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. I wonder if this is from the remnants of Ida that soaked the SE and east coast? n/t

[Neurotica]

7. Yes, at least partly, according to CNN

Earlier today one of CNN's meteorologists was talking about the fact that the energy from what was left of Ida was contributing to these torrential rains.

[Generator]

4. How about every five thousand years?

I smell me some 2012.

[msongs]

5. hmm a bone dry November in so cal....however

that is normal weather for here. never mind.

Msongs

[Hekate]

14. "Normal" for a drought cycle, you mean. We've had *one* good rain here. nt

[Arctic Dave]

6. Holey moley that's a lot of rain.

Off subject, are you the Steven Johnson who wrote "The Invention of Air"?

[Odin2005]

8. WOW!!!

:wow:

[Ter]

9. Sounds like HAARP to me

People need to wake up.

[happyslug]

10. 12 inches of rain, that what hit Johnstown in the 1977 Flood

http://www.johnstownpa.com/History/hist21.html

http://photo.accuweather.com/PHOTOGALLERY/details/photo/20340/Johnstown+flood+1977

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp6amu7j4p0

The 1977 flood did not see the people being killed as in the 1889, but unlike the earlier flood the 1977 was the result of a huge amount of rain (12 inches) in a 24 hour period.

[Fly by night]

11. My hometown (Columbus, MS) made Esquire's "Dubious Achievement" awards for 17 inches in 24 hours

That was in 1969, I do believe. I was working the night shift (thank heaven) 'cause when I went back to my apartment, the retaining wall had collapsed from the rain and crushed all the cars in the parking lot.

That was some rain.

[pitohui]

13. 22 inches of rain in 24 hrs in "the forgotten disaster" spring flood may 10,1995 in new orleans

while we went swimming the news was reporting breathlessly on the fact that ww2 in europe had ended 50 yrs ago, something that, perhaps, could have been discovered in any history book and didn't necessarily require news reportage during a natural disaster

so many floods

so little time

it always distresses me to read about a flood and think of all the homes (and sometimes also the lives) swept away forever

my heart goes out to these folks in the u.k. and ireland

[Hekate]

15. So much rain on already saturated ground. My heart goes out to them...

May they be safe. Do we have any DUers in the region?

Hekate

[Lagomorph]

16. I keep hearing those terms

100 year flood: every ten years
Once in a lifetime: every 25 years
Once every 1000 years: every 50 years
biblical proportions: every two or three years