Geography

• Storm Desmond


  December 2015
• Cumbria is located in the North west of England
• Causes of flooding


  • Heavy rainfall
  • Floodplain built upon therefore impermeable surfaces
• Social effects of flooding


  • 200 homes were flooded in Cumbria and Lancashire
  • People homeless at Christmas
  • 43,000 homes across NE England left without Power
  • 40 Schools closed
• Economic effects of flooding


  • Bridges needed replacing
  • Roads and bridges closed which meant businesses closed
  • Government announced £50 million flood damage funds
• Environmental effects of flooding


  • Cockermouth lay under 3ft of flood water
  • 341mm of rainfall
  • Landslides due to heavy rain
  • Water Pollution
• Hard engineering


  • Flood barrier in Cockermouth-rises automatically to hold water
  • Floodgate on footbridge over R.Cocker. The gate can be closed during high flooding to keep the water in the channel
  • Dredging- The Environment Agency regularly removes gravel from the bed of the River Derwent to deepen the channel
• Soft engineering


  • Flood Plain Zoning- restricting building to area West of hospital
  • Flood Relief Area: Restricts water from Cumbrian mountains entering the river
• 350 soldiers deployed to help those stranded during STORM DESMOND
• STORM DESMOND brought heavy rain, flooding, and strong winds
• 'the storm was the worst to hit Cumbria since records began'