The floods

Kieran_Burns

Anyone got any stories?

A car broke down on the middle of the only open route into my village from the North this evening. Right slap bang in the middle, when I was 2 cars behind.

I would've been sympathetic but the bloody water was sill deep and I was worrying about my car stalling out and literally flooding the engine.

I wonder if I can cycle through it tomorrow?

I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be able to drive and stupidly I left my work laptop in the office, so the bike is the only option but I've never cycled through water that deep....

roger_merriman

Rather depends if it's standing or flowing. I've gone though on the MTB over the bottom bracket type stuff, normally fording than long stretches though.

nation

I work in motor insurance.

I am already thoroughly fed up with writing off cars that people have tried to drive through floods, and it's only November.

Interestingly, they are almost without exception BMWs. Make of that what you will.

supersonic

Floods are very common where I live, fortunately this year it hasn't been too bad. Sandbags will be got if the rain continues though.

dee4life2005

People that attempt to drive through flood-water and subsequently get stuck, ruining their engine and causing their car to be written-off shouldn't be covered by their insurance IMO. It's just supidity in the vast majority of cases, and all it does it put up insurance premiums for all us sensible folks.
</rant off>

veronese68

A few years ago the underpass by Kingston station flooded here. A car had tried to get through, it floated. It had enough bouyancy to float itself around so it came to rest sideways across the road. So even when the water subsided the road was still blocked. Anyone that knows the kingston one way system can imagine the chaos that caused. Yes, it was a BMW estate.

Kieran_Burns

The river level at Kegworth is 1.26 metres.

This measurement was recorded at 22:00 on 26/11/2012.

The typical river level range for this location is between 0.41 metres and 0.72 metres.

The highest river level recorded at this location is 1.31 metres and the river level reached 1.16 metres on 17/01/2008.

Is was at that level all day today. Bugger.

sketchley

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picture ... me=2409698

Picture 6 if link doesn't go straight there.... :shock:

veronese68

Sketchley wrote:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/uknews/9703458/UK-weather-trail-of-destruction-as-floods-spread-north.html?frame=2409698

Picture 6 if link doesn't go straight there.... :shock:

That water is only 6 inches deep. The carbon fibre had melted and he hadn't stood up yet.

nation

I've forded stuff on the MTB before. I'd probably be willing to do the same on the road bike.

At least on a flooded road you can be a bit more certain of what is under the water.

beams87

Had a nice MTB around Burley in the New Forest with coriordan this weekend, we forded some knee high stuff.

Interestingly, my uncle is in that 95th percentile of men who think their estate is completely waterproof, and ploughed it straight into a 'puddle' at speed one day years ago. The bow wave covered the car completely, car flooded, horn got stuck on and he exited via the sunroof in front of the whole village who had gathered, A while ago now, but we still laugh about it.

Not a BMW, but an Audi.

FoldingJoe

I've had to drive from home in Bude to Taunton this morning to get my train to London.

Had issues getting home Thursday and nearly surged the car in a deep puddle I didn't see until the last minute (dark country roads). Steam everywhere, but managed to get the car started.

Kieran_Burns

Well - the water level was down this morning. Only ankle deep at the worst bit, but they've now closed the road in one direction: oddly the direction I was going last night, the one which the car that broke down was facing.

Oh, and all the cars driving half on, half off the the footpath have half collapsed a cable duct cover. It'll only take a few more cars driving over it for the whole thing to let go.

Kieran_Burns

Sketchley wrote:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/uknews/9703458/UK-weather-trail-of-destruction-as-floods-spread-north.html?frame=2409698

Picture 6 if link doesn't go straight there.... :shock:

As you go through those pictures... all the ones of Hathern are local to me, it's the next village South of me down the A6. Gives you some idea of what it's been like. I'm glad I live up a hill now.

reformedfatty

Loving that cyclist picture. Puts to shame all those who got off and walked the 3 inch deep ford on the exmoor beast this year

essex-commuter

Went running on Sunday and the Ford near me was running at 4 feet. Other roads were flooded and cars were watching me run through some to gauge weather (sic) they could drive through or not!

meanredspider

reformedfatty wrote:

Loving that cyclist picture. Puts to shame all those who got off and walked the 3 inch deep ford on the exmoor beast this year

+1 - no need to tell him to MTFU....!

kieranb

Well, luckily for me we were up in Norfolk (Kings Lynn area) at the weekend and despite the flatness of the land we saw very little flooding and had no problems driving up there and back to London. Growing up, our house was right beside a river (if you looked out the bathroom window the river was right up against the wall) so we were used to flooding (e.g. all ground floor wiring was about 4 foot from the floor) and got many a day off school to go home and help!

junglist_matty

The cycle path I use to commute is flooded, so went to take the road route, and the road was closed due to flooding... So turned around, got the car out and drove in the last two days, hopefully be back on the bike by the end of the week.

Trouble is the other route I can take is along a very busy A-Road with cars going well over 60mph, in good weather it's bad enough riding along it so there's no chance I'll risk it in bad weather conditions (drivers can't see clearly & slippery roads etc).

A long weekend ride is in order in place of missed commuting exercise!

rjsterry

The flood prevention scheme where my parents live (South Gloucestershire), diverts water into surrounding fields (instead of into the village), and while they are on top of a hill, they aren looking out over a landscape of small lakes with those giant cylindrical bales floating around in them. The sluice gate of the flood prevention scheme is currently blocked by about 3 of these bales. Not seen it that bad in all the time I/they've lived there (30-odd years)

meanredspider

We seem to be missing all of the terrible weather the rest of the country is getting. It's cold (4C) but calm and mostly dry. At 120m above sea level on the side of a hill, I think Noah will be back in action before we see any issues. They are beefing up the flood defences in Inverness though and Dingwall has been flooded before now.

suzyb

It's the same further south now, dry but cold. A lot of the fields are still flooded but the roads are OK. At least the ones where water pipes didn't burst are

jefflad

Sketchley wrote:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/uknews/9703458/UK-weather-trail-of-destruction-as-floods-spread-north.html?frame=2409698

Picture 6 if link doesn't go straight there.... :shock:

Just imagine his conversation with his wife before the ride... Don't come back all muddy like last time! Don't worry love I've got my mudguards on :-/

Drfabulous0

Sketchley wrote:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/uknews/9703458/UK-weather-trail-of-destruction-as-floods-spread-north.html?frame=2409698

Picture 6 if link doesn't go straight there.... :shock:

I did that last year on my fixie, I didn't think it was quite so deep. It was fun nevertheless.

mudcow007

a few years back the water pipe flooded up the road from my parents house flooding the dis-used railway line

all the water cascaded down onto the track, i rode through on my Kona Stinky

the water was over the bars at about 4ft deep

its quite hard going riding through deep water

funny though

UndercoverElephant

meanredspider wrote:

reformedfatty wrote:

Loving that cyclist picture. Puts to shame all those who got off and walked the 3 inch deep ford on the exmoor beast this year

+1 - no need to tell him to MTFU....!

-1 Seen the tiny bow wave he's producing! I bet that ride never makes it to Strava.

mudcow007

UndercoverElephant wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

reformedfatty wrote:

Loving that cyclist picture. Puts to shame all those who got off and walked the 3 inch deep ford on the exmoor beast this year

+1 - no need to tell him to MTFU....!

-1 Seen the tiny bow wave he's producing! I bet that ride never makes it to Strava.

do you reckon his garmin ever made it out unscathed?