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| In Mytholmroyd |
God said to Noah, “I am going to destroy all flesh because the world is full of violence. Build an ark of gopherwood, with rooms inside, three decks, and a door. Cover it inside and out with pitch.” And Noah did exactly as God commanded him (Genesis 6:13–22).
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Personally, I think it was wise of Noah to comply with God's request. He could have stood up against God on behalf of his fellow human beings. After all, they can't all have been totally bad can they? They must have had some redeeming features. But if Noah had challenged God's decision he would have also been swept away in the wrathful flood. God didn't believe in democratic debate. By the way, I wonder where Noah got the gopherwood from?
The above biblical diversion simply foreshadows the main purpose of this blogpost - to reflect upon recent flooding in The People's Republic of Yorkshire.
Lots of rain has fallen these past two weeks - associated with two Atlantic storms - Storm Ciara and Storm Dennis. The moors and hills have been drenched and drenched again. And when rain falls on saturated ground where has it got to go? It runs down gullies into brooks and streams and they in turn run into rivers so that the rivers become surging torrents that aim for the open sea, sometimes spreading out on flood plains, breaking through the banks and levees created by Noah's descendants. It's only natural - a geographical tale of yore.
We live on one of Sheffield's hills above the valley of The River Porter. We can never be flooded up here. Even if all the ice on the planet melted we would still be okay though admittedly food supply chains would be severely disrupted.
It is hard to imagine what it would be like to have one's home flooded. Some Yorkshire homeowners have witnessed dirty river water gushing into their houses and rising one, two, three or more feet up their walls.
Life can be challenging enough in ordinary circumstances but imagine having to throw out all your carpets and ground floor furniture, all your kitchen appliances and some of your most treasured possessions. Then when the water subsides you have to deal with mean-spirited insurance companies and have plaster stripped from your walls - back to the bare brick. The place will need drying out and you need to find somewhere else to live.
And in the midst of this trouble you have family and work responsibilities to juggle. It almost doesn't bear thinking about. At times the worry and the stress may become intolerable and perhaps in the middle of it all you will also wonder - Could the flooding return? How will we ever sell this house?
Though I feel for any flood victims, I am rather happy that the closest we will ever get to a flood is a big puddle on the lawn after a particularly heavy rainstorm.
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| In Tadcaster |
I am very thankful I've never really had to deal with a flood. And you're right, what I always think about is everyday life plus a flood, or a fire or a hurricane or whatever. Katie doesn't live at home anymore but I worry about her having to deal with natural disasters. She does surprise me though when it comes to coping.
ReplyDeleteOur natural disasters have taken the form of fires these past few years and insurance companies seem to be worse than the original disaster. I'm glad you and Mrs. Pudding are safe above the flood waters.
Perhaps I should build a small ark - just in case.
DeleteStress, unfortunately, is part of life.
ReplyDeleteAlong with the horrendous, destructive bushfires this country has experienced over the past few months, the weather did a welcome about-turn and brought drenching rains to many areas that needed it desperately. All fires have been extinguished, but some flooding occurred in some areas. Not all areas that need rain received it, but those that did are extremely thankful.
Severe storms are predicted along the east coast areas today/this afternoon, and tomorrow...from south-east Queensland south through New South Wakes to Victoria.
It is summer here, after all....
Australia has had a lot thrown at it these past few months. I wonder what God has got up his sleeve next.
DeleteProbably some loaves and little fishes...maybe a few loaves of raisin bread thrown in...and, perhaps, some big fish as well.
DeleteYou mean like sharks?
DeletePeople do not realize how incredibly devastating floods can be. I have been fortunate enough to never have had to face one beyond having a basement flooded a few times and that was bad enough. They can be deadly.
ReplyDeleteI can imagine that just having a basement flooded would be hard enough.
DeleteI'm glad you live in an area that can't flood but I am very sorry for those that have dealt with it. We do have flooding in the area where I live and Kansas City has seen flooding in the past. Personally, we have been fortunate and only had our basement flooded once and never had the main part of our house flooded. It is certainly a big headache and loss.
ReplyDeleteThe Missouri is such a huge river to control. I wouldn't want to live too close to it.
DeleteGoodness. Until I read the caption I took that last picture to be a picture of your lawn after a rainstorm. I was going to say you are like Rod Stewart with a football pitch in your garden and invite myself round for a game.
ReplyDeleteHow about water polo instead?
DeleteThanks for the update on you and Mrs. P. I've been seeing it on the news and hoping you were not under water. I've never flooded or burned, but after seeing it, I just don't know how people recover from it. In the US, unless you have purchased flood insurance from the government, home owner's insurance will not cover water damage from flooding.
ReplyDeleteHere homeowners find that they are okay if they get flooded once but after that then buying insurance is nigh on impossible.
DeleteOn the insurance question someone on the news was saying that there are special insurance provisions for previously flooded areas and they did have insurance despite being flooded twice before. That surprised me because I, like you, thought it was nigh on impossible. I know nothing else about it.
DeleteI was looking at the news this evening and the millions leaving Idlib in Syria. Then I saw the people leaving their flooded houses. Then I realised in my flood safe, relatively hurricane proof house in as safe a place on this planet as there probably is politically how complacent I am when I look at all these horrors.
ReplyDelete"I'm all right Jack pull up the ladder" is the core tenet of conservatism. Perhaps I have a bit of that myself!
DeleteAll my homeowning years, I've lived on top of a hill. I liked saying that to the insurance fella. Nothing like the top of the hill.
ReplyDeleteThose of us who lives on hills should be entitled to reduced insurance premiums.
DeleteI've often thought how lucky we've been to live in an area that's high and dry. I can only imagine the horror of flood waters and the headaches and stress of cleaning up, but I have a pretty good imagination and I sure wouldn't want to experience it. Glad to hear you're safe. Is your elevation truly that high?
ReplyDeleteIndeed it is. We need ropes and crampons to get home.
DeleteFlooding creates a lot more damage than just destruction of houses. It's a very challenging situation to live through.
ReplyDeleteImagine if you were already feeling blue or depressed and then a flood hits!
DeleteMy house copped a good drenching during Brisbane's 2011 floods. Fortunately the dwelling bit is high, Brissie style. But the water came within 18 inches
ReplyDeleteof our floorboards. My sister had a lot of things stored under our house - sorry! We lost various bits and pieces, plus the washing machine and drier.
The two things I remember most about that time was Brisbane's wonderful "mud army" who helped ordinary homeowners clean up. I still well up thinking of them. The streets were packed with people carrying spades gloves etc. I can never fully express my gratitude to the folk who helped us.
The second thing I remember most is the appalling stench of the mud.
So my heart really goes out to the good folk of Yorkshire and me elsewhere who have been flooded.
How very heart-warming that Brisbane came together as a community to support those in need. True acts of selflessness restore our faith in humanity. Thanks for calling by Rozzie.
DeleteI don't know where that last "me" sneaked in from!
ReplyDeleteIt was a typo - not a mental aberration Rozzie...I guess!
DeleteLike the others here, I have never experienced flooding myself, having lived far and uphill enough from any rivers (mainly the Neckar). But I have seen flooding at the Neckar when I was young; there are old flood markings on many historical buildings in the towns and villages along the river.
ReplyDeleteWhen my grandmother was still alive, she sometimes mentioned how one of her very first childhood memories was getting up in the morning, wanting to go downstairs to the kitchen for breakfast and having to stop at the top of the stairs, because the ground floor was full of water. She was born in Hoheneck, in a house close to the river (where later she learnt to swim).
Thanks for yet another interesting comment Meike. By the way, the replacement calendar arrived safely and it is now up on the wall in our study. That was an expensive mistake but I do applaud you for correcting it. Thank you again.
DeleteBeing fortunate enough to live high on a hill where there is no fear of flooding.
ReplyDeleteYou could have included that in your Complacency post of last November.
Alphie
You are absolutely right Alphie.
DeleteMy heart goes out to all those poor people who have had so much to deal with each time their home is flooded. I too live high on a hill, but so far, have never been flooded, although I would never wish to feel complacent about it. In the recent violent storms we've had, I've watched the water cascading down the drive and carry on down the hill to the bottom of the valley. It's quite frightening the speed and force which even a small amount of water can build up. A house nearby has had a very high, dry stone wall collapse, bringing down not only the stones, but earth, huge slabs of thick concrete terracing, and now the wall is just suspended over the considerable gap left.
ReplyDeleteThat last sentence should read - the remainder of the wall is suspended over the gap
ReplyDeletePerhaps we should all move to The Atacama Desert in northern Chile! It never rains there. No chance of a flood.
DeleteMy heart skipped a beat or three when water was pouring out of our manholes, the loo and shower were gurgling, there was a swimming pool where our patio used to be and another outside the front door, a couple of inches up the car wheels.
ReplyDeleteFortunately the rain stopped and the water began to drain away. I feel so sorry for those people who have to deal with the reality of flooding, the filth, the stench and not being able to live in your own home. Not to mention the tardiness of some insurance companies in dealing with claims. There was a radio 4 programme about it recently, insurance companies playing with people's lives and destroying them in some cases, by keeping them dangling on a string, fretting and worrying about whether or not they will pay out.
We are lucky and thankful to be safe but feel guilty about it at the same time.
Thanks for dropping by Jean. I wonder where you are in Derbyshire?
DeleteDearest YP, you may live high up the hill - don't count your blessings yet. A couple or so years ago I too was flooded. Not from below. Oh now. From above. Flash flooding. Through the roof. It was awful. Since it was in the middle of the night, the Angel out, it was a miracle I woke just in time to save what I could save. I am good in a crisis.
ReplyDeleteI don't tend to think about what I lost. By which I don't mean stuff that can be replaced by going shopping, but stuff, not least letters, that can NOT be replaced, can never be read again. Cue a tear.
Still, sigh, if I had the choice between water and fire, I'd choose water every time. Water is benign. Fire is the devil.
U
I agree with you. Water before fire every time - unless that water happened take the form of a great tsunami perhaps. Fortunately we don't get many tsunamis up here in Sheffield.
DeleteIt must be utter misery to have your home wrecked by foul water and I feel so sorry for everyone who is suffering. Like you, our house seems to be placed out of harms way. When we first moved here we had problems with water entering after unusually heavy downpours, but we dug up the lawn and put in pipes to draw water away from the building and that has worked well.
ReplyDeleteIn the Dales, neighbours on a hill have had water come in at the back door and out at the front and when the water table was high, as it is now, water would bubble up in my parents' pantry, but it was clean water and didn't cause a problem.
Most flood water is filthy. If it was always clean, the aftermath of a flood wouldn't be quite so bad.
DeleteYou hit on the real problem in that second-to-last paragraph -- what does this do to people's house values and the potential for resale? And what are the odds it will happen again? It would be terrifying to be faced with those fears every time there's a big storm. (Or series of big storms.)
ReplyDeleteWe live on a hill too, and I'm glad. (Plus we rent.)
The geographical term "flood plain" has often been ignored by housing developers.
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