Some exageration......

[boatone]

...watching TV this morning Kay Burley was talking to a fire service chap stood next to this bridge at Abingdon:

The water was still several inches below the underside of the bridge but they were suggesting the water level was around 9-10 feet above normal.
That picture was taken on 18/07/2003 and river at normal level. My best estimate might be 6 feet or so up but certainly not 9 or 10.

Is anyone else getting fed up with everything being hyped up for maximum drama effect?

 

[Gavi]

A little - I'd just like a clear idea of whether I need to worry or not, if only to calm SWMBO down about this wedding on Friday. Talking with colleagues in Oxfordshire (our company is based in Abingdon) the problem is real but not as bad over night as predicted.

The EA has given out "All Clear" on some of the rivers in Middx/Surrey but this hasn't been mentioned.

But then I'm no expert and will keep my waders to hand for a few more days yet!

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

WOLF WOLF...

 

[Poignard]

[ QUOTE ]
Is anyone else getting fed up with everything being hyped up for maximum drama effect?


[/ QUOTE ]

Yes! And with the stupid questions being asked by reporters, e.g. from the Today programme on BBC Radio 4, this morning:-

"What does it feel like to lose your home?"

 

[Chris_d]

I think it depends where they measure the rise, some stretches are higher than others, I took a look at Culham this morning and the lock could be on freeflow if they opened both gates. The lock drop there is 2.4m normaly so thats about 8ft higher at least, probably more.

 

[Doolittle]

Yes! "Very very high, very very fast" had me yelling at the TV last night. Just how hard is it for these reporters to get details like actual feet above summer levels or actual flow speed where they were standing?

Sheer bloody hype now and of course once the drama subsides they'll leave the poor home owners to mop the sludge out of their houses as it's no longer newsworthy. There's still thousands homeless in Yorkshire begging for action.

 

[andyoxon]

I won't rant on about inaccurate reporting etc - its too easy.

Wouldn't it be useful if the EA's telemetry was available on their website? Graphical would be nice, so we could see trends, and come to our own conclusions rather than listening to untrained crib card reading muppets?

Lets face it, there are only two parameters, height and flow, presumably measured at each lock / weir that need to be updated every 30 mins or so.

A

 

[Chris_d]

Yes agreed, it can't really be that hard can it, it would be so much better than just "severe flood warning" which tells you nothing, even just adding the words rising or falling would be ten times more helpful.

 

[landlockedpirate]

My favourite quote was from a narrow boater in Oxford on last nights ITV news.

"I've got all my extra ropes on the boat, thats 5 in total !" (60ft Boat tied up with what looked like bits of washing line)

Nothing like being prepared is there-and that narrow boater was nothing like prepared.

Mark