topic 4 : tewkesbury floods

case study

when did tewkesbury flood?

july 2007

where is tewkesbury located?

tewkesbury is in the south-west of england, in the county of gloucestershire.

it’s in between the cities of bristol and birmingham, near the border of wales.

social impacts

• 13 people died and hundreds have to be evacuated

• 30000 properties without power for 48 hours

• infrastructure severely affected - roads were cut off and badly damaged

• most properties were damaged in the area

economic impacts

• more than 18000 insurance claims

• 9000 businesses affected

• flooding cost local councils £140 million

• argiculture sector severely affected

environmental impacts

• soils became degraded due to contamination from roads and industrial sites

• soils became waterlogged, destroying plants and crops

human causes

• building on floodplains

• no flood defences in Tewkesbury

physical causes

• little sunshine meant evaporation rates were low

• the geographical location of Tewkesbury is vulnerable to flood events due to two rivers meeting in the town

• soils were already saturated due to the heavy rainfall occuring in the months leading up to the flooding

• the summer of 2007 in England and Wales was the wettest

short term responses

• evacuation of vulnerable people

• flood warnings were issued by the environment agency

• 920 requests were made to recover flooded items

• army personnel supply food to the cut-off town of Upton-on-Severn

long term responses

• additional funds to protect important public utility buildings such as electricity substations and water purification funds

• £800 million to be spent on flood defences