CAMERA MAN STANDING IN THE FLOOD 1937 © MARY EVANS PICTURE LIBRARY
DEAR READER:
I want to invite you into a conversation between floods. The river is full of chatter if you listen. But what would one flood say to another? And what might they say to us? There is a time between the floods when we don’t want to speak of them at all. We don’t want to think of the water taking over where we live, soaking into our homes, the places we work and walk, threatening to take everything away; even our lives might be taken by the flood waters. It is right to fear the water rising. When the flood subsides it leaves its mark. All over the county are the posts and marks that indicate the levels the waters reached; meticulous records are kept in written and photographic archives, with footage that cover flood stories in the media; and then there are our own stories. The aftermath of a flood is long and painful. Life is disrupted, people displaced, areas shut down to recover, businesses lost. The floodwater turns what we have into what we throw away. Floodwater, damp, mud, mould, mess, contamination, destruction, all need clearing up and drying out. These things leave a scar on the city, the landscape, communities and the individual, which we try to cover over. But the stain remains. The river will flood again. It is what rivers do.
Tania Kovats October 2017
This newspaper is an artwork by Tania Kovats commissioned by Simon Bates of the Exeter & East Devon Growth Point Team for the Exe Riverside Valley Park. The following pages contain a range of drawings, maps, lists and writing by the artist Tania Kovats, interspersed with historical images and material from the records of the Environment Agency’s Devon Flood Archive.
JOHN ROQUE’S MAP OF EXETER 1744
EXE
THE RIVER IS A LINE OF CONNECTION FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER, ONE TIME TO ANOTHER. TIME IS LIQUID FLOWING BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS AND IN THE CHATTER OF THE RIVER CONVERSATIONS C AN HAPPEN BETWEEN FLOODS. THE RIVER IS A SCULPTOR IN ITS LANDSC APE, FORMING THE LAND IT TRAVELS THROUGH. THE RIVER ALSO CHANGES THE CULTURE OF A PLACE.
The Exe rises on Exmoor, deep into north Devon, sixty miles from its mouth, which is due south, at Exmouth. Exe Head is an area of boggy ground 1500ft above sea level on the eastern edge of the Chains near Simonsbath, just off the B3358. Exeter is the fortress of the Exe. It was the river that brought the city its wealth as the river connected it to the world’s markets for wool and cloth. The Exe then powered Exeter’s mills during the Industrial Revolution for the city’s production of textiles and paper. The system of leats and water management constructed for the mills gently drained marshes, and increased the agricultural value of the surrounding land. The Exe is part of the city’s health, its flush. The city is a living organism, an interconnected metabolic system with a boundary, which lives, feeds, reproduces, breathes and excretes. Our waste flows out to the Countess Weir sewage works for treatment before it is clean enough to enter the tidal waters of the Exe and be flushed away. The river is part of the city’s health and our wellbeing. It is where we can see the sky. It is a habitat that houses life in its waters and its margins. The Exe provides the open spaces that we need to walk, sit, think, cycle, paddle, moor, play in, in order to recover from the rest of our lives. The river is not a place, it is a restlessness that moves through a place. A heavy rain can change the river’s banks, altering its path, depositing material in new shapes and boundaries. A river is changeless change. When we try to hold a river in shape by engineering, structures, walls, weirs, embankments and quaysides we have to accept that there will be moments of failure. It is best to work with a river than against it. There will be times when the river escapes its containment. The Exe divides, it is a boundary, between East and Mid Devon, defensible even. It is also a boundary between liquid and solid. Our liquid selves are drawn to the water. We live urban lives that cut us off from other understandings; we not know the places that the river rises, or the wide waters of its mouth where it discharges. Follow the river. Listen to its conversation. The tidal waters whisper to us that there are clocks, which run to a different time to ours. The river tells us there are forces and energies that are bigger than us. The flood screams at us, deafening, telling us the visceral powers that we ignore run through our lives and threaten what we thought we had built securely. We risk everything if we don’t listen.
FLOOD fl^d/ Origin Old English flōd, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch vloed and German Flut, also to flow.
NOUN 1.
1.1 1.2 1.3
An overflow of a large amount of water beyond its normal limits, especially over what is normally dry land. ‘the villagers had been cut off by floods and landslides’ ‘a flood barrier’ The biblical flood brought by God upon the earth because of the wickedness of the human race (Gen. 6 ff.). The inflow of the tide. A river, stream, or sea.
2.1
An outpouring of tears. ‘she burst into floods of tears’ An overwhelming quantity of things or people happening or appearing at the same time. ‘his column provoked a flood of complaints’ ‘floods of tourists come each year to marvel at the sights’
3.
Short for floodlight.
2.
VERB 1.
1.1
1.2 1.3 1.4 2.
2.1 2.2
3.
Cover or submerge (an area) with water in a flood. ‘the dam burst, flooding a small town’ ‘a serious risk of flooding’ Become covered or submerged by a flood. ‘part of the vessel flooded’ ‘Sarah’s eyes flooded with tears’ (usually be flooded out) (of a flood) force (someone) to leave their home. (of a river) become swollen and overflow (its banks). Overfill the carburettor of (an engine) with petrol, causing the engine to fail to start. Arrive in overwhelming amounts or quantities. ‘sunlight flooded in at the windows’ ‘congratulatory messages flooded in’ ‘his old fears came flooding back’ Completely fill or suffuse. ‘she flooded the room with light’ Overwhelm with large amounts or quantities. ‘our switchboard was flooded with calls’ (of a woman) experience a uterine haemorrhage. be in (full) flood
PHRASES 1 1.1
(of a river) be overflowing its banks. Be progressing or talking vigorously or enthusiastically. ‘discussion was already in full flood and refused to be dammed’ ‘she was in full flood about the glories of bicycling’
TAKEN FROM THE OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY
EXE AT COWLEY BRIDGE AND WEIR 1960 © EA
CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN FLOODS ON THE EXE
The following are all extracts from ‘Antiquities of the City of Exeter’ by Richard Izacke, 1676
The following are all excerpts from Chronology of British Hydrological events
1250
Walter Gervis a worthy citizen hereof found Exbridge (a ferry being here formerly kept).
1692
A wave of water 4-5ft deep swept through West Exe, Tiverton, causing great damage to walls and houses.
1286
A great part of Exbridge through foul weather and high water, fell down, and again soon repaired.
1757
As a result of extremely heavy overnight rain the Exe rose suddenly and swept away the Mill House situated at the end of West Exe, Tiverton. Many bridges were destroyed or damaged throughout the Exe Valley.
1760
During the Summer the Alphin Brook overflowed and demolished 20 houses in Alphington.
1775
The foundations and arches of the new Exe Bridge were badly damaged. ‘There was devastation throughout the valley and the poor suffered much distress’.
1786
Owing to the great fall of rain the rivers were swollen to an amazing degree and great damage was sustained; the waters rushed through the streets of St Thomas with great rapidity carrying everything before them. ‘At Exwick it made great devastation, and at Stoke about four miles from the City, it threw down houses, besides barns, etc. Several bridges have been thrown down, and we are fearful of hearing still greater mischief done in other parts…’ A report in Trewman’s Exeter Flying Post states that on Saturday morning 7th October, 1786, there arose serious flooding from the River Exe in the St Thomas district reaching a depth of 5ft. (The conditions described in the report appear to be almost identical with those experienced in October 1960).
1795
Many bridges were damaged and Swines Bridge at Tiverton was swept away.
1800
‘A prodigious flood, such as the oldest person then living had never before witnessed occurred at Exeter and generally throughout the Kingdom. All the streets in St Thomas were inundated, the water reaching up to the windows, and those power class inhabitants were in great distress…’ (According to St Thomas Parish Church records, there was a severe flooding in 1800, and when the vicarage was rebuilt in 1804, the floor level was kept above the flood level of 1800).
1809
Water 5ft deep in West Exe, Tiverton.
1810
There is also a further record of a flood which was much more severe than the one of 1800, and inundated the floor of the new vicarage to a depth of several inches. The river reached a very great height and washed away the remaining arches of Cowley Bridge. The whole of St Thomas and Exe Island was inundated, many walls and outhouses was washed down, with considerable damage to cellars and foundations. The devastation was described as ‘shocking and dismal in the extreme… Three vessels of large burthen were thrown completely on to the Exeter Quay and in the road leading from Okehampton Street the water was 6ft above the pavements and 5ft deep in the houses.’ In the badly overcrowded Sheriff ’s Prison, abutting Cowick Street… the water was over 3 ft deep.
1384
A great part of Exbridge by means of high water fell down, and sundry persons therewith destroyed.
1447
Exbridge was now in great decay, the stonework thereof being much foundered, and the higher part being all of timber was consumed and worn away.
1483
Oct 15th…in the evening there was the greatest wind ever heard of, which caused a wonderful great flood in most part of the land from Bristol to ‘Mount’ and many other places, drowning the counties roundabout.
1539
About the end of November one of the middle arches of Exbridge fell down and was again speedily erected by the Bridge Warden.
1609
An act of Parliament made for continuance and repair of Head Weare on the river Exe, and the new Leat.
1625
A tremendous flood swept through the valley, causing great devastation. In the towns of Tiverton alone 53 houses were destroyed.
1635
Several attempts made to bring in the River through the City.
1842
There was a flood greater than any since 1810 rising 2ft over the rail lines at Cowley. Caused by melting snow on Exmoor, the water came solely from the Exe, and the Lowman and Culm were not affected.
1894
During the early hours of Monday 13th November, following a prolonged storm of rain and hail, the Exe rose to within 9 inches of the October 1960 levels, and Cowick Street, Alphington Street, Tudor Street, and Frog Street are all mentioned as being flooded to various depths.
1917
Serious flooding occurred at Exwick and in the Exe Bridge area.
1920
Serious flooding occurred at Exwick and in the Exe Bridge area.
1929
Serious flooding occurred at Exwick and in the Exe Bridge area.
1950
Serious flooding occurred at Exwick, Cowick Street, and the Exe Bridge area. In order to alleviate any future flooding at Exwick a viaduct was constructed under Station Road, and additional supports inserted under the existing bridge were removed. These were inserted during the Second World War to increase the carrying capacity of the bridge.
1960
27 October following very heavy rain, the Exe overflowed and flooded large areas of Exeter including Exwick, St Thomas and Alphington. The water rose as high as 2 metres above ground level in places and 150 employees of the local firm Beach Bros were trapped for nine hours. 2,500 properties were flooded. Later the same year on 3 December the river levels rose again, flooding 1,200 properties. These floods led to the construction of new flood defences for Exeter. Work began in 1965, took 12 years to complete and cost £8 million. The defences included three flood relief channels, and were complemented by the construction of two new concrete bridges (built in 1969 and 1972) to replace the old Exe Bridge, which had obstructed the flow of the river and made the flooding worse.
FLOODING AT OKEHAMPTON STREET, EXETER 1960 © EA
ENVIRONMENT AGENCY LIST OF PEAK FLOOD WATER OVER THRESHOLD AT STOODLEIGH 1960 – 2012 © EA
FLOOD LEVELS RECORDED AT OR NEAR THE VICINITY OF BICKLEIGH STATION 1960-1986 © EA
SYDNEY STREET, EXETER 1960 © EA
UPSTREAM OF COWLEY BRIDGE, EXETER 1960 © EA
PREDICTING FLOOD RISK
Political, economic, social and cultural decisions are made about flooding. Flooding was historically considered mostly a risk to agricultural farmland and water management was largely focused on making arable land productive through drainage and protection. Now flooding is considered in relation to urban risk, economic cost and vulnerability. This is a blue planet. In geological terms we all live on a flood plain. Everywhere has been under water at some point, and most likely will be again. There are other reasons why flooding is not a conversation only relevant to those living next to the water. Our homes, our places of work or education, our rooftops, our gardens, our pavements and roads, our transport networks, roads and railways and airports, our sewers, our green spaces, parks, fields all make up the areas that might contribute to causes of flooding – and could also help manage flooding. There is a gradient to water, it is always heading for the lowest point and trying to get to the sea, but things get in the way and re-direct it. In our culture, in our country, our county, and down our street, informed decision making happens that attempts to manage risk, and risk transfer - insurance. There is a mathematical formula that provides a vocabulary used to generate how we express that risk. Flood risk means the magnitude or size of economic flood loss and the probability that the loss will occur. The paradigm for risk comprises hazard, vulnerability and consequence.
Risk = {Hazard, Vulnerability, Consequence} The parts of the sum include: The Flood Hazard: the probability and depth, velocity, discharge of flooding Vulnerability: the relationship of flood hazard properties to economic loss and the exposure of the economic value of those assets subjected to the flood hazard Consequence: this is the adverse outcome An additional element included in these calculations is Performance, or how effective flood protection and damage mitigation measures are that modify the flood hazard. But however high the wall is built there will be flooding. Risk can be reduced in other ways less easy to express in an equation but the conversation between floods is an important dialogue that gives us all a model of how best to live. People’s understanding and knowledge of their risk is critical; people need to make personal decisions and manage risk as individuals, and in communities, reducing the misconception that flooding can be eliminated by those in governance over us, but it can be considered in how we build our cities, homes and lives. An approach to flooding that has system-based solutions across communities and government can be adaptive, to better cope with unknown situations. By trying to work with the river it is possible to put in place sustainable effective measures where more can be done to reduce the risk of flooding. How we can make a greater alignment between governance and accountability with what people actually need is a conversation that can start with the river.
‘THE GREAT FLOOD’ 1960
VIEW OF THE PAPER MILL AT HEAD WEIR, EXETER DECEMBER 4TH 1960
PREDICTING THE RAIN
The Met Office and the Environment Agency combine their meteorological and hydrological knowledge into a specialised hydrometeorological service that forecasts and communicates all natural flooding. This includes river flooding, surface water flooding, tidal and coastal flooding, and groundwater flooding. The forecasting means that there is more time for individuals, businesses, communities and emergency response agencies to respond to, and take action, that helps protect them from the danger of flooding. Predicting the rain is a task that the English mathematician, physicist, meteorologist, psychologist and pacifist Lewis Fry Richardson (1881-1953), pioneered at the beginning of the twentieth century. He proposed a method that is still in use today by deploying differential equations. The maths is now done on a computer but when Richardson developed his method the computers were people in a room, doing the sums, that were hypothetically situated at intersecting points on a grid that was laid across the earth, that rose up in layers through the atmosphere. Individual calculations were further combined and processed until they resulted in an expression of weather prediction. In 1922 Richardson published Weather Prediction by Numerical Process where he visualised and described his method to try and explain the mathematical process in a more spatial way. He invites his reader to imagine a large internal space such as a theatre that has been painted over with the image of the globe.
The ceiling is north and has the polar regions, the tropics occupy the upper circle seats of the theatre with England in the gallery, and Antarctica sits in the pit. In every seat there is a computer – which in Richardson’s scheme actually means a person doing sums – and they are focused on one part of the overall equation. Their results are clearly displayed so other computers – or the next layer of people doing their work in the equation – can then take their results and integrate them as they pass on and up through other layers of the equation. He then describes an additional central role being much like a conductor of the orchestra where one person is entrusted to maintain a uniform speed to the progress of these equations and results as they move through all parts of the globe – making sure no area lags behind or goes ahead too quickly. The central location also unlocks weather prediction, where the information about ‘future weather’ is generated and dispatched. A tremendous amount of brain power was required prior to the use of the sort of computers we can access today – Richardson estimated it would need sixty thousand people to be at work with slide rules to predict the next day’s weather before it arrived. His method of splitting the atmosphere into blocks of air and utilising measurements of atmospheric pressure, moisture and temperature alongside information about wind speed and direction, and importantly an understanding of the effect of turbulence on all of these things, meant he made a significant and lasting contribution to weather prediction.
RIVER EXE AT PYNES WEIR, LOOKING NORTH EAST 1987 © EA
ALPHIN BROOK SIDE WEIR 1979 © EA
FROM THE SOUTH WEST FILM AND TELEVISION ARCHIVE (SWFTA)
Reference Number: 70783 Exeter floods Clive Gunnell on the floods at Exeter, reminding him of the 1960 floods. Cars through flooded streets and roads. Fields under water. Devon river authority engineer. 1960 floods highlighted problems. Records of previous floods the first mentioned was in 1537. Since then there have been at least 20 major floods. Regular pattern of floods. Still - floods early in 20th century. New schemes to control flood water. Analysis and reports. Costs of flood prevention works at Exeter.
Reference Number: 92801 Title: Westward News Inserts Synopsis: A minister has today opened up the newly finished ‘River Exe Flood Alleviation Scheme’ in Exeter, Devon Keywords: Environment, Weather Shot List: GVs Minister opening curtains to reveal ‘River Exe Flood Alleviation Scheme’ plaque GVs men and women looking at River Exe and flood alleviation engineering GVs engineering work on River Exe GVs Engineers collecting soil samples using large drill.
Reference Number: 8511 Title: TSW News Inserts Synopsis: After record rainfall there has been widespread flooding throughout the South West Keywords: Weather Shot List: GVs Torquay seafront in high winds. Shot swollen River Axe. Shot swans swimming on river. GVs drain being cleared by workmen. Shot “Flood” sign GVs flooded streets.
Reference Number: 56414 The 1963 item is also a news piece: Village street cleaner with hand cart sweeps pavement and gutter. With handcart through village street to church. Goes into churchyard to compose poem. On sound track one of his poems about autumn leaves. The river Exe in flood. River, bridges and fields. River very high in Exeter. Relief canal of flood preservation scheme in situ still without water.
Reference Number: 54005 Title: TSW News Rushes Synopsis: Devon County Council are preparing flood and frost defence schemes after heavy flooding in Exeter and the forecast of temperatures dropping below zero overnight Keywords: Weather, Environment Shot List: Shot man walking along road (wobbly). GVs mud in bank by side of road then mud on road (wobbly). GVs flood water under bridge. GVs ducks swimming in flood water in field. GVs trees in flood water in field. Shot flood water flowing under bridge. GVs men canoeing on River Exe. Shot woman answering phone in Devon County Council Engineering and Planning Department office. GVs CCTV monitors with cars driving on road. GVs man answering phone and talking in office. Shot maps of Exeter and Torbay on wall.
Reference Number: 26765 Title: TSW News Inserts Synopsis: Gale force winds and torrential rain caused severe flooding and damage to homes and businesses throughout the South West Keywords: Weather Shot List: GVs flooded farmland. GVs cars driving through flooded streets. Shot container ship at sea in rough weather. Shot flooded river.
Reference Number: 82762 Title: Westward News Inserts Synopsis: A look at floodgates being used on the River Exe in Exeter, Devon Keywords: Environment, Maritime, Weather Shot List: VARS flood gates on river Exe. Shot water flowing over weir in river VARS flooded fields.
Reference Number: 26835 Title: TSW News Inserts Synopsis: Gale force winds and storms have caused severe damage to homes and businesses throughout the South West Keywords: Weather Shot List: GVs River Piddle after bursting its banks. GVs police car driving through flooded streets. Shot graphic map of the South West. GVs flooded entrance to Darlington Estate. GVs flooded fields Shot flooded bridge. Shot landslip. Shot “Road Closed” sign.
Reference Number: 237493 Title: Westward News Inserts Synopsis: A look at flooded streets in the South West Keywords: Urban life, Weather Shot List: L/A floodwaters in road outside houses in street. L/A torrent of floodwater. Shot woman looking out of her front door at flood water in street. Shot car parked in flooded street. Shot flood water trickling out of front step of greengrocers shop.
Reference Number: 88439 Title: Westward News Inserts Synopsis: Residents of Devon have had homes and properties flooded after the River Exe in Devon flooded Keywords: Weather, Environment Shot List: (Reel 1 of 2) GVs man outside flooded property with pump. GVs truck partially submerged in water. GVs men and women cycling through flooded streets on bicycles. GVs fast flowing river. GVs man carrying dog along flooded street. GVs men and women walking through flooded street.
Reference Number: 27448 Title: TSW News Inserts Synopsis: Gale force winds and storms have caused severe flooding in the village of Muchenley in Somerset. Keywords: Weather Shot. List: GVs flooded field. GVs flooded roads. VARS flooded village streets. GVs man paddling down flooded road in canoe. INTVW Ian Gilliam PTC John Doyle.
GV stands for general view
COVER OF ‘DEVON FLOOD STORY’ 1960
RIVER EXE, COUNTESS WEAR 1970 © EA
AERIAL VIEW OF EXE IN FLOOD AT EXETER JANUARY 20TH 1999 © EA
EXE: HEAD TO MOUTH
BRIDGES
WEIRS
Cowley
Cowley Bridge
Exwick Weirs
Nadderwater
Station Road Bridge
Simonsbath Withypool Dulverton Brushford Exebridge Lower Washfield Tiverton Collipriest Ashley Bickleigh Up Exe Thorverton Latchmoor Green Nether Exe Brampford Speke Exwick Mills Weir Head Weir
Exeter
Blackaller Weir St Thomas
Millers Crossing Exe Bridges Cricklepit Bridge Trews Weir
Saint Leonards Alphington
Canal Swing Bridge Belle Isle Suspension Bridge Clapperbrook Swing Bridge
Countess Wear Matford Newport Park Exminster Topsham Ebford Exton Powderham Lympstone Starcross Cockwood Dawlish Warren Exmouth
Countess Weir Bridges
St James’ Weir
RIVER EXE, EXETER DECEMBER 28TH 1979 © EA
SPECIES OF BIRD SEEN ON THE EXE ESTUARY 2017
A
J
S
Arctic Skua Arctic Tern Avocet
Jackdaw Jack Snipe Jay
B
K
Barnacle Goose Bar-tailed Godwit Blackcap Black-tailed Godwit Black Tern Blue Tit Bonaparte’s Gull
Kingfisher Kittiwake Knot
Sand Martin Sanderling Sandwich Tern Shag Shell Duck Shoveler Siskin Skylark Slavonian Grebe Song Thrush Sparrowhawk Starling Stonechat Storm Petrel Swallow
C Canada Goose Carrion Crow Cetti’s Warbler Chaffinch Chiffchaff Cirl Bunting Common Snipe Common Scoter Coot Cormorant Curlew Sandpiper
D Dark Bellied Brent Goose Dunlin
E Eider
F Fulmar
G Gadwall Gannet Garganey Goldeneye Goldcrest Goldfinch Great Crested Grebe Great Northern Diver Great Skua Great Spotted Woodpecker Greater Black-backed Gull Great Shearwater Greenfinch Green Sandpiper Greenshank Green Woodpecker Grey Heron Grey Plover Grey Wagtail Guillemot
L Lapwing Lesser Black-backed Gull Linnet Little Egret Little Grebe Little Stint Long Tailed Duck Long Tailed Tit
M Magpie Mallard Marsh Harrier Meadow Pipit Moorhen Mute Swan
T Teal Tree Pipit Turnstone
U -
V -
N
W
-
Waxwing Wheatear Whimbrel White Stork Wigeon Willow Warbler Wren Wryneck
O Osprey Oystercatcher
P Peregrine Pintail
X -
Q -
R Raven Razorbill Red Breasted Merganser Red Kite Red-rumped Swallow Red Throated Diver Redshank Redstart Reed Bunting Reed Warbler Ringed Plover Rock Pipit Rook Ruff
H Herring Gull House Martin
I -
COLLATED FROM DEVONBIRDS.ORG
Y Yellow-browed Warbler Yellow Wagtail
Z -
INK DRAWING ON CHART OF RIVER EXE AND APPROACHES 2017
EXE SOUTH OF EXE BRIDGES, LOOKING TOWARDS HAVEN BANKS OCTOBER 30 2000 © EA
CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN FLOODS IN ENGLAND
1287
St. Lucis’s flood. A flood that killed hundreds in the south of England.
1928
Flood of the River Thames where 14 people died and thousands lost their homes.
2000
Severe flooding in York, Kent, Sussex, Shrewsbury, Lewes, Uckfield and Maidstone.
1607
30th January 1607 Flooding in the Bristol Channel that hit Carmarthenshire, Glamorgan, Monmouthshire, Devon and Somerset.
1947
Rain and snowmelts caused flooding, resulting in damage estimated at a cost of £375 million.
2002
Glasgow Floods meant 200 people had to be evacuated and 140,000 people had their water supplies affected.
1703
The Great Storm of 1703 with up to 15,000 deaths and widespread damage to trees and buildings.
1953
North Sea flood with a loss of life of 307 people across Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.
2004
Boscastle flood that also hit the village of Crackington Haven, both in Cornwall.
1770
Flooding and storms throughout southern England.
1960
27 October. Following very heavy rain, the Exe overflowed and flooded large areas of Exeter including Exwick, St Thomas and Alphington. The water rose as high as 2 metres above ground level, 2,500 properties were flooded. Later the same year on 3 December the river levels rose again, flooding 1,200 properties. These floods led to the construction of new flood defences for Exeter.
2004
8th January. Flooding in Carlisle.
2005
January. The Eden, Kent, Derwent, Greta and Cocker rivers all flood causing widespread damage.
1968
The Great Flood causing extensive damage to Southern England.
1978
11th January, North Sea storm surge causing coastal flooding on the east coast between the Humber and Kent, severely affecting Lincolnshire, The Wash and North Norfolk.
2007
Flooding caused wide spread road and rail closures, power cuts, evacuations, and loss of clean water supply, affecting Gloucester, Yorkshire, Hull and Worcestershire. The city of Sheffield (in Yorkshire) was the worst affected city in the country, where a month’s worth of rain fell on the city in just 18 hours on 25 June 2007, bursting the banks of the River Don. There were also fears that the Ulley Reservoir in Sheffield would fail. If it had it would have killed hundreds. 6 people were killed across the country.
1998
Easter Floods hit the Midlands on the 9th and 10th April where five people lost their lives and thousands were evacuated; worst affected were areas of Worcester, The Wash, Evesham, Leamington Spa, Stratford-upon- Avon, Bedford, Northampton, Huntingdon. The storm travelled south to affect East Anglia, the Midlands, Wales, Lincolnshire and the West Country.
2008
Morpeth floods where the River Wansbeck burst its banks and widespread flooding across the Midlands and North East England.
2009
February storms led to flooding with Cumbria worst affected where four people lost their lives. Flood waters reached 8ft deep in Cockermouth.
2012
Spring was particularly wet causing widespread flooding so more heavy rain in June resulted in flooding most severe in Aberystwyth.
2013
East Coast Tidal Surge 5th December caused severe widespread coastal flooding along the east coast.
2013-14
Winter storms battered the British Isles causing coastal damage, especially bad in the South West, and flooding on the Somerset Levels, the Thames, the river Severn in Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and the River Stour in Dorset.
2015-16 Flooding in Cumbria, Yorkshire, southern Scotland and parts of Ireland.
CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN FLOODS AROUND THE WORLD SINCE 2000
2000
2001
2002
Mozambique flood was caused by heavy rain and a cyclone resulting in the country being covered in water for three weeks, killing thousands and leaving the country devastated.
Tropical Storm Allison killed over 30 people in Houston Texas, USA.
Flooding across Europe following a week of heavy rain causing over one hundred deaths and thousands being dispossessed across Russia, the Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Croatia; the Vltava, Elbe and Danube rivers all reaching record levels.
2003
2004
-
-
2005
June. Alberta, Canada suffered devastating floods affecting cities including Calgary and caused four deaths over the three weeks of flooding.
July. Flooding in Mumbai India caused the death of 700 people where some areas were under 5m of water.
August. Eighty percent of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, was flooded due to failure of several levees during Hurricane Katrina that caused 1,076 to lose their lives.
August. Rains caused widespread flooding across Europe where 62 people lost their lives.
November. Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in India suffered widespread flooding.
2006
May. North and South Korea badly affected by flooding with loss of life of hundreds of people and over 10% of the country’s rice and cornfields destroyed.
The Mid-Atlantic States hit by flooding from upstate New York to North Carolina where 16 people lost their lives.
August. Ethiopia’s low-lying areas are often affected by flooding in the rainy season but this year, rivers burst their banks, hundreds lost their lives and thousands of pounds of damage were caused.
Between December and January, the peninsular of Malaysia, Sumatra and Sabah suffered flooding that killed hundreds and displaced thousands, including hitting the capital Jakarta, killing 80 people.
2007
The Hunter Floods inundated the cities of Maitland and Newcastle in Australia taking 11 lives and causing 4,000 people to be evacuated.
September. Flooding across Africa affecting 14 countries with loss of life of over 250 people and affecting 1.5 million people across the Sudan, Ghana, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Mali, Burkina Faso, Kenya and Togo.
November. Cyclone Guba caused devastating flooding in Papua New Guinea.
2008
July and September. An unusually wet rainy season caused several states to be devastated by flooding killing an estimated 2,404 people, with Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar worst effected.
Santa Catarina floods in Brazil affecting 1.5 million people and killing 128 people.
Indiana floods.
Brazilian floods and mudslides causing hundreds of people to be made homeless, and loss of life.
2009
-
2010
April. Rio de Janeiro floods killing 250 people.
Northeastern Brazil floods where an extreme weather event kills 212 people and thousands were made homeless or were put at risk of mudslides.
June to August. China is affected by flooding resulting in the evacuation of 15.2 million people and causing the death of thousands.
26th July. Pakistan floods with unusually heavy monsoon rain leaving a fifth of the country’s land area affected and the death of 2,000 people.
4th August. Flash flood hits Louisville, Kentucky.
November. Colombia hit by floods and landslides that killed 138 and left 1.3 million people homeless.
2010-11 Queensland Australia floods.
2011
January. Flooding in Brazil is considered to be the worst the country has seen, leaving 700 people dead and 14,000 homeless.
April and May. The Mississippi River flooding is considered to be the worst in its history.
July. Thailand floods in its northern, northeastern and Central regions along the Mekong and Chao Phraya river basins.
August and September. Khammouane Province in Laos, northeastern Thailand and Cambodia are flooded.
18th October. Palau Tioman of Malaysia flooded.
November. The northern part of Malaysia flooded, followed by the Narathiwat Province in Thailand.
2012
July. Kyushu, Japan was hit by heavy flooding that left 32 dead.
2013
Northern India floods in Uttarakhand killing 5,700 people. The intense June rainstorm caused flooding where debris blocked rivers making the flooding even more devastating. Melting snow and glaciers from the mountainous regions added to the flooding and landslides.
Widespread flooding across Europe where rivers including the Vltava, Saale River and Elbe River, burst their banks across Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Switzerland causing the deaths of 25 people.
June and July. Alberta, Canada hit by flooding where the Bow, Elbow, Highwood, Red Deer, Sheep, Little Bow and South Saskachewan rivers all flooded, causing the deaths of five people and displacing 100,000.
July. Southwest China hit by flooding that disrupted 6 million people and caused hundreds of deaths. The worst affected provinces were Sichuan and Yunnan, particularly the mountainous region where places like Beichuan were 7m under water.
August. Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan experienced heavy rain that led to flash flooding causing the death of 180 people.
Colorado floods leave four dead.
18th November. A flood kills 18 people on the island of Sardinia.
2014
April. Cyclone Ita causes flooding across the Solomon Islands killing 21 people.
April. Flood events across the United States caused by tornadoes.
14-16 May. Flooding across southeastern Europe in Bosnia, Serbia and Romania.
June. A flash flood in the Baghlan Province of Afghanistan killed 73 people.
June. Alberta, Canada hit by flooding.
New York hit by flooding in mid August due to an intense rain storm that flooded roadways across Long Island.
September. Kashmir floods. Srinaga City was hit by flooding that killed between 300 and 400 people.
2015
Northern Chile floods and mudflows caused by unusually heavy rains that led to flash floods, with 26 dead with thousands in shelters or cut off by blocked roads.
Tbilisi flood, caused when the Vere River rose, claimed 20 deaths and caused landslides that also took out the zoo.
Missouri floods were caused by heavy rainfall, where the Meramec and Mississippi rivers flooded.
South Indian floods with particularly heavy monsoon rainfall devastating Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh causing in excess of 500 deaths and billions of pounds of damage.
Poland suffers flooding in May after the Vistula river bursts its banks.
2016
Flooding and landslides in San Paulo followed torrential rainfall in early March killing at least 21 people and displacing hundreds.
April. Houston floods with eight people losing their lives and 1,000 homes flooded.
Flooding in Europe in late May and early June, mainly in Germany and France, but affecting various other countries along the rivers Neckar, Danube, Rhine and Seine.
Oklahoma floods also affected the states of Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska and Texas.
Maryland flood on July 30th was a flash flooding incident that hit Ellicott City killing 2 and taking months before the city could reopen to vehicles.
Louisiana floods in August claimed the lives of 13 people and left 146,000 homes damaged.
2017
Southern Thailand floods with much heavier rain than usual during the monsoon season causing millions of pounds in damage to agricultural land and infrastructure.
Floods in Peru cause 2.5 million pounds of damage, blamed on a coastal El NiĂąo that meant ten times the amount of normal rains; more than 100 people lose their lives, 158,000 people are displaced.
Quebec floods were caused by excessive rainfall leading to a state of emergency where over 2,500 people were displaced.
August. Hurricane Harvey caused catastrophic flooding across Texas displacing over 30,000 people and the loss of life of 90 people.
September. Hurricane Irma caused catastrophic damage due to wind and rain; there were 134 deaths across the Caribbean island chain.
SONG COMMISSIONED BY TANIA KOVATS AS A RESPONSE TO CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN FLOODS
RISING Verse 1
If I were you, I’d bob up and down upon my little fishing boat To the mouth and onwards where the sea would choke And chortle to the breeze. If I were you, I’d dance upon my riverbanks and light a fire Celebrating summer’s lasting embers choir If I were you. Refrain
Oh, oh, oh, there’s always something about you Oh, oh, oh, that made me nervous inside Oh, oh, oh, I’ve locked my doors and my windows Verse 2
If you were me, You’d realise the ebbs and flows will always rise Surprised you are but in your eyes it’s always been Something to ignore. If you were me, You’d notice all the details in the everyday The mark left on the wall, the mud that paves the way If you were me. Refrain
Oh, oh, oh, there’s always something about you Oh, oh, oh, that leaves a mark on our lives Oh, oh, oh, I’ve locked my doors and my windows Chorus
So, tell it to the river, tell it to the streams I am the giver, I contain all your secrets I am the river that, I am the river that, I am the river that weeps. Verse 3
But here we are, Don’t you know I hold remorse inside my veins I knew you were not listening when I called your name Warning of my tears. But here we are again, I threatened and I raged with stormy water works Disrupted early morning and the thoughts you heard And here we are. Refrain
Oh, oh, oh, there’s always something about you Oh, oh, oh, that made me nervous inside Oh, oh, oh, I’ve locked my doors and my windows Chorus
So, tell it to the river, tell it to the streams I am the giver, I contain all your secrets I am the river that, I am the river that, I am the river that weeps. Middle 8/Outro
Weeps, I hear the sound of the waters rising Weeps, I hear the sound of the rivers flooding Weeps, if you just listen to my perfect timing I am the river that, I am the river that I am the river that weeps.
MUSIC AND LYRICS WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY LAURA LOFT © 2017 LAURALOFTMUSIC.COM
An afternoon of talks about flooding with invited speakers, music and food. Friday 10th November 2017 Talks 1.30 - 5.30pm, Food from 5.30pm Royal Albert Memorial Museum Join ar tists, authors, ecologists, scientists and engineers for a multi-layered conversation about flooding with talks, performance of a newly-commissioned song by Laura Loft and food. This event forms par t of a special programme of ar tist commissions linked to the Exe Riverside Valley Park and has evolved from the flood defence programme currently being delivered by the Environment Agency in Exeter. Conversations Between Floods is hosted by Exeter City Council, University of Exeter, Environment Agency and Devon Wildlife Trust. The event will finish with a panel discussion and food to enable the conversation to continue.
Voices in the conversation include:
How to book:
JEREMY PURSEGLOVE Author of ‘Taming the Flood’
The event (including refreshments) is FREE to attend but tickets must be reserved in advance via EventBrite. To book your tickets visit eventbrite.com and search for ‘Conversations Between Floods’.
TANIA KOVATS British artist who has been commissioned to respond to the River Exe PROFESSOR KATRINA BROWN Chair of Social Sciences at the University of Exeter MATILDA TEMPERLEY Photographer of 2015 flooding in the Somerset Levels GEORGE ARNISON Flood and Coastal Risk Management, Environment Agency ANNE-MARIE CULHANE British artist developing a community orchard along the River Exe MARY-ROSE LANE Biodiversity specialist, Environment Agency
If you book a ticket but are unable to attend please let us know so that we can re-allocate your place to someone else. If you are unable to book via EventBrite contact Suzanne Heath on suzanne@ginkgoprojects.co.uk or 07843 417474 Please let us know if you have any special dietary requirements, and state when booking whether you intend to stay for the food at the end of the event.
How to find us:
Gallery 20 Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery Queen Street Exeter EX4 3RX
Other speakers to be announced
ginkgoprojects.co.uk/projects/art-on-the-exe facebook.com/ExeterValleyParks
Tania Kovats would like to thank all those that helped develop Exe - Conversations Between Floods, with particular thanks to Christopher Kahn at the Environment Agency Archive and Felicity Liggins at the Met Office. Designed by Union Studio Printed by Sharman & Co October 2017