Somerset Levels Flooding Case Study

Where is Somerset Levels located?

Flat land in Southwest UK between Quantocks and Mendips hills

When did the flood happen?

2014

Where did it flood?

River Parret and Tone

Floodwater Volume

100 million m³ covered 140 km² area.

What are the physical causes?

prolonged rainfall and storms caused my powerful jet streams

Human causes

River not dredged for 20 years, not deep / wide enough to carry water

Social Consequences

600 homes affected, villages like Muchelney cut off.

Economic Consequences

Financial cost between £82 million and £147 million.

Environmental consequences

6,900 hectares of land underwater for less than a month.

Response

Environment Agency used 62 pumps to remove 1.5 million tonnes of water.

20 year Flood Action Plan

dredging rivers, repairing damaged flood banks, building a tidal barrier.