Thursday 14 November 2019

Nor any drop to drink.

And to think of the next but one line:
'and all the boards did shrink. '

I really think that unless we have been flooded we cannot possibly imagine the horror of it.   We were flooded in late July up here and those affected are still not in their homes and possibly will still be out at Christmas.   But at least the weather was reasonably warm.   Today here in North Yorkshire, not so very far away from South Yorkshire and Derbyshire, where this week's floods are it is freezing cold - and I mean freezing.   This morning there was thick frost on the windscreen of my car. 

And then the news turns to Venice - the worst high tide in fifty years - priceless treasures ruined in S Mark's Square - the lowest part of the city. 

I am sitting at my computer looking out of the window.   The sky is grey, the wind is blowing, it is raining heavily, it is very cold.   Even Tess, when I took her round the block at lunch time, was eager to get back indoors.   Yes, inside is the place to be today and we must all spare a thought for those out of their homes and in temporary accomodation - and with no idea at all of when things will be back to normal.   And in addition there is more heavy rain forecast for that area tomorrow.

20 comments:

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

Some friends of mine were flooded a few years ago and, although the house is back to normal, they still become very anxious every time it rains heavily. Insuring their home is still a problem and selling it would also be difficult. Locals tell them that the land was always prone to flooding, but the developers claimed they were taking steps which would mean it never happened.

the veg artist said...

Really cold here today, with a strong north wind. Wasn't it still summer just a few short weeks ago?
Here in West Wales some of our local towns and villages have tidal rivers, and when you have high tides at times of heavy rainfall, the resistance of one against the other causes problems. Over the years I've seen developments, private and commercial, on land which flooded regularly, but council planners never want to listen.

Penhill said...

It has been raining here all day,very cold too. There is a severe flood warning for the lower part of the town near the river Stour. The town is surrounded by new development on what was presumably land that formed part of the flood plain,I expect the same is happening everywhere.

angryparsnip said...

Houses are built in floodplains the developers say oh we fixed that problem but nature put it that way for a reason.
Developers come in grade the land so they can squeeze more houses in and the cities/councils/planning commissions gain a bigger tax revenue.
I was married to a developer and I know what goes on.
parsnip

Librarian said...

It must be so awful, no matter whether your house is destroyed by an earthquake, hurricane, water or fire or you have to leave for some other reason such as political unrest or hunger. I am so very very grateful that I live where I do and have never been forced to leave my home.
Your place must be a bit higher than Ripon. My sister-in-law says they don't have frost yet, and my weather app shows still around 8 Celsius for them.

busybusybeejay said...

We have just driven back from Chester and the roads were flooded in many places.Really hazardous.I feel for the people in Yorkshire.

Sue said...

Rick was glad of his raincoat again today. Very wet and wintry weather.

Heather said...

It has rained all day down here too and we have localised flooding in the area, but nothing serious and no frost yet, though our first snowfall only a few miles away.
Our poor planet is suffering as well as those affected by the extreme conditions, with terrible fires in Australia and California, flooding here and in Venice, and possibly other disasters in places we never hear about.
We were warned 30 years ago of more extreme weather but no-one seemed to take it seriously, and so here we are. The Environment Agency will be working overtime for some time I think.

Rachel Phillips said...

You can think what you like but you won't stop it raining if it wants to rain.

Rachel Phillips said...

Especially if you're anywhere near the Pennines.

Tom Stephenson said...

Millions have been granted to Venice by the E.U. for flood prevention schemes, but it has all been creamed-off and stolen by the Mafia, who have supported canal widening projects to take more gigantic cruise liners. It stinks worse than Venice in high summer.

Granny Sue said...

How terrible. Flooding is a constant threat here in WV and its effects are devastating.

Cro Magnon said...

It would be a massive undertaking to build a wall around Venice, but it's the only thing that would stop the annual flooding. If they continue to do nothing, I can see it being abandoned before the end of this century.

thelma said...

Flooding in Venice reminds me of Greek towns submerged 5000 years ago. Whether it is too late to halt these environmental catastrophes I don't know, but it does mean that our lives have to change. It must be totally miserable for people who have had their houses flooded, especially in this cold British weather.

Rachel Phillips said...

How do our lives have to change? What difference will it make? Climate changes whether we give it a helping hand or not. My life has not been affected by a town in Greece that submerged 5000 years ago. I have never missed it. As for quietly flows the Don, it has been flooding periodically for centuries. In August 1912 Norfolk was under water. Did the locals say "we have to change?" No, they mopped up the harvest, what was left of it, dried out and got on with it.

thelma said...

Because Rachel we have to think of others. The next generation for a start. We need a humanistic ideal basically to take on the problems of those around us and care. Which as we know mostly happens. A blog hardly covers the enormity of what is happening in the world but there again it gives us freedom to express what we want to say!

Rachel Phillips said...

What you have said Thelma is all very well but it bears no relation to my comment if you read it.

Brenda said...

How far are you from college at Bristol?

Gwil W said...

I blame Geoff Boycott and Dickie Bird. It's those annual ceremonies where they all dress up in white suits and shout Howzat!

If you no drinking water you can try milk in your whisky.

The Weaver of Grass said...

I just shudder every time I look out of the window and see it raining. Looking at what is happening lower down the country at present makes our flooding on July 30th look quite minor. If one's house floods then it is a catastrophe for the person who lives there - some of the faces of folk interviewed on TV in South Yorkshire showed jst how badly they were taking it. Regardless of our point of view we have to acknowledge that they need every ounce of our sympathy.Round here thousands of houses have been built over the last ten years or so -many on very low-lying land - and mostly four and five bedroom 'luxury' homes - not much first time buyer stuff.