Causes
- Warm air from the mid-Atlantic moved towards land due to the prevailing wind.
- The warm air was forced upwards by the Cumbrian Mountains.
- As the air cooled, it condensed to form heavy rain. The weather front stopped over Cumbria.
- The falling rain poured into the River Derwent and River Cocker.
- Cockermouth is located at the rivers' confluence and as a result, suffered significant flooding.
Is weather in the UK becoming more extreme?
How much rain fell in Cockermouth in 2009?
Why is it important to alert people to flood risk?
What is flood prevention?
Why did warm air from the mid-Atlantic move towards land?
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About this website
What are the physical and human causes of flooding?
Sometimes people cut down trees (deforestation ). This will increase the flood risk, as the water will not be intercepted and flow into the river. Urban land use - when an area surrounding a river is built on, there is an increase in the amount of tarmac and concrete, which are impermeable surfaces.
What caused flooding in Cockermouth?
Cumbria floods 2015 In December 2015, Cumbria, particularly the town of Cockermouth, was severely hit by Storm Desmond, with a record-breaking 341.4 mm of rain recorded in Honister Pass on 5th December 2015.
How did the Cockermouth flood affect people?
Primary (short-term) impacts included travel difficulties, spoiling/damage of products and loss of electricity.
What were the effects of the Cockermouth flood in 2009?
250 farms affected 25 bridges closed (for over 6 weeks) Significant highway road infrastructure damage Port of Workington closed (entrance to port obstructed by debris washed downstream) 40 out of 300 waste water treatment works affected Economic impact on surrounding areas caused by infrastructure issues 3,057 ...
What happened at Cockermouth?
'A surreal time' On 19 November 2009 water levels in the town reached up to 8.2ft (2.5m) and hundreds of people had to be rescued by emergency services. Clothes banks, support clinics and action groups were set up as the community struggled to cope with the physical and emotional effects of the floods.
What was the disaster at Cockermouth?
On thursday 19th November, the rivers Cocker and Derwent, which join in Cockermouth, rose to a level that flooded much of central Cockermouth, leaving huge amounts of destruction, and most of the shops, restaurants and pubs in the town completely wrecked.
What were the effects of the flood on the citizens?
Loss of lives and property: Immediate impacts of flooding include loss of human life, damage to property, destruction of crops, loss of livestock, non-functioning of infrastructure facilities and deterioration of health condition owing to waterborne diseases.
What was the main cause of the floods in 2005?
The floods were caused by the eighth heaviest ever recorded 24-hour rainfall figure of 994 mm. The Maharashtra floods of 2005 refers to the flooding of many parts of the state, including large areas of the metropolis Mumbai, in which at least 5,000 people died.
How many times has Cockermouth flooded?
Cockermouth is highly prone to flooding with 15 flood events recorded since detailed records began in 1761. The town, at the confluence of the Rivers Cocker and Derwent, is prone to flooding due to the natural topography of the area.
What was the worst flood in the UK?
Great Flood of 1968 6,250 square kilometres of land - stretching roughly from Hampshire and Sussex across Surrey, Kent, and Essex - was hit with over 100mm of torrential rainfall during July and September 1968.
How long did the Cockermouth flood last?
It lashed the county so hard between 18 and 20 November 2009 that bridges collapsed and more than 1,300 homes were flooded. Thousands of people were evacuated, a policeman was swept to his death, and, in Cockermouth, water levels turned the market town into a debris-strewn reservoir.
Is Cockermouth flooded today?
There are no flood warnings or alerts in this area.
How did the Cumbria flood happen?
Physical processes that impact flooding In October 2021, a slow-moving weather system caused unusually heavy rainfall across many parts of the UK. Cumbria experienced widespread flooding. More than a month's worth of rain (12in or 30cm) fell within a 24-hour period.
What has been done to reduce flooding in Cockermouth?
Emergency works on a river side retaining wall in Cockermouth have been completed, strengthening the existing flood defences during winter.
How long did the Cockermouth flood last?
It lashed the county so hard between 18 and 20 November 2009 that bridges collapsed and more than 1,300 homes were flooded. Thousands of people were evacuated, a policeman was swept to his death, and, in Cockermouth, water levels turned the market town into a debris-strewn reservoir.
What caused the Cumbria floods 2009?
An intense rainfall event hit Cumbria in late November 2009, causing a flash flood to run through the towns of Cockermouth and Workington, with the loss of several bridges and the death of a policeman on duty.
Floods in 2009 and 2015 were worst in Cumbria for centuries – study
The floods of 2009 and 2015 in north-west England were the worst for more than 550 years, according to groundbreaking analysis of lake sediment in the region.. Residents have long suspected that ...
Cumbria Floods 2009 Facts | Actforlibraries.org
Cumbria, also known as The Lake District, is a small county in the north of England, situated just below the borders of Scotland. Apart from the attraction of its beautiful hills and lakes, it also has the dubious reputation of being the wettest place in England.
November 2009 Heavy rainfall/flooding in the Lake District, Cumbria
Heavy rainfall/flooding in the Lake District, Cumbria - November 2009 Exceptionally prolonged and heavy rainfall on Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 November led to
Case study - flooding in Cumbria, October 2021 - BBC Bitesize
Learn about and revise human activities on rivers, and hard and soft engineering strategies to prevent flooding, with GCSE Bitesize Geography (Edexcel).
Is weather in the UK becoming more extreme?
Depressions and anticyclones determine the weather in the UK. The most common weather is rainfall. The effects of prolonged heavy rainfall can lead to many negative impacts on people.
How much rain fell in Cockermouth in 2009?
In November 2009, over 31 cm of rain fell in a 24-hour period. This is a record amount of daily rainfall for the UK. This led to the flooding of the town of Cockermouth.
Why is it important to alert people to flood risk?
Alerting people to the risk of potential flooding enables the public to evacuate the area, reducing injuries and deaths. Economic losses can also be reduced as people and businesses can move their valuables to a safer area.
What is flood prevention?
A flood prevention scheme has been implemented which includes a variety of river management schemes. River dredging was used to increase the capacity of the river channel so it could hold more water in the future.
Why did warm air from the mid-Atlantic move towards land?
Warm air from the mid-Atlantic moved towards land due to the prevailing wind.
What is the third type of urbanization?
Urbanisation: The third type is caused by urbanisation in flood-prone areas. Excess water passing through the drainage system can accumulate in low-lying areas. This effect is worsened by the coverage of land with buildings and impermeable surfaces such as concrete; less water can be absorbed into the ground, overloading sewers.
What is excessive precipitation?
Excessive precipitation means that there is an extremely high overbearing amount of rainfall in a particular area. Prolonged rainfall over several days means higher water content in rivers and the land surface. Monsoon rains, hurricanes, cyclones, and convectional rainfall result in excessive levels of precipitation.
Why can't rain infiltrate soil?
When soil is saturated due to previous rainfall, subsequent rainfall cannot infiltrate the soil because the soil already has a lot of moisture that is contained due to the previous day’s rainfall. This situation is called a Saturated Overland Flow SOF and likely to lead to a greater magnitude of flood.
Why do floods occur?
It generally happens continuous rainfall occurs over several days or when a large snowfall melts, But over the years, the number of occurrences of flood has increased, and the reason for this is the excessive alteration of the environment by humans.
What causes a surge in water along the coast?
Coastal Strom Surges. Strom surges are caused by a low-pressure system or tropical cyclones, which increase water levels along the coast. This results in a sudden surge in water along the coast, which can overflow onto land and lead to a flood. Human Causes of Flooding. Urbanisation.
What are the causes of floods?
Some of the major physical and human causes of Flooding are deforestation, overland flow, coastal surge, excessive precipitation, etc. Skip to content.
Why is it important to build a bridge to reduce the carrying capacity of a river?
Modification of natural river channels by building bridges or some other structure can reduce the carrying capacity of that river because it will prevent water from being able to pass through easily.
How much money did Cumbria lose due to the floods?
According to Cumbria County Council, the county's tourism businesses lost an estimated £2.5m due to the floods.
Why are flood gates built along the Cocker and Derwent rivers?
The Environment Agency has built walls, embankments and flood gates along the Cocker and Derwent rivers to help protect 360 vulnerable homes and 55 businesses prone to taking in water.
What caused rivers and streams to spill into hundreds of homes and businesses?
Unprecedented rainfall caused rivers and streams to spill into hundreds of homes and businesses.
Where does Michelle Lockett live?
Michelle Lockett and her daughter Claire now live in Carlisle after their house, behind Main Street in Cockermouth, was flooded.
When did Sue Cashmore's house flood?
Sue Cashmore's home was flooded for the third time in 2009, leaving her, her two daughters, two dogs and her cat stranded on the first floor of their home on Gote Road for about 17 hours.
Is weather in the UK becoming more extreme?
Depressions and anticyclones determine the weather in the UK. The most common weather is rainfall. The effects of prolonged heavy rainfall can lead to many negative impacts on people.
How much rain fell in Cockermouth in 2009?
In November 2009, over 31 cm of rain fell in a 24-hour period. This is a record amount of daily rainfall for the UK. This led to the flooding of the town of Cockermouth.
Why is it important to alert people to flood risk?
Alerting people to the risk of potential flooding enables the public to evacuate the area, reducing injuries and deaths. Economic losses can also be reduced as people and businesses can move their valuables to a safer area.
What is flood prevention?
A flood prevention scheme has been implemented which includes a variety of river management schemes. River dredging was used to increase the capacity of the river channel so it could hold more water in the future.
Why did warm air from the mid-Atlantic move towards land?
Warm air from the mid-Atlantic moved towards land due to the prevailing wind.