Boscastle Flood

Boscastle Flood Red Box Case Study

Location and Dates

On Monday 16 August 2004 a devastating flood hit the two towns of Boscastle and Crackington Haven, Cornwall. Boscastle with a population of only 888 was a thriving fishing village near the South West Coast of England. The flood destroyed most of the town and caused a decrease in the developed infrastructure. It is estimated that 440 million gallons of water reached the town which were as a consequence of three rivers bursting their banks and converging after heavy rainfall. This caused 20 years’ worth of sediment to be deposited in the village.

Causes

Human

• Following the main flood, a second flash flood was caused due to cars, trees and waste blocking a temporary dam in the form of a

The high gradients meant water was travelling to fast to infiltrate the ground and travel more slowly as groundwater or throughflow.

• Boscastle is situated on the confluence of three medium rivers which are the rivers: Valency, Jordan, and Paradise. An immense quantity of water arrived very quickly causing the river’s discharge to increase and due to this huge volume of water in the river channel - to overflow.

• The flooding also unfortunately coincided with a high tide which worsened the impacts of the flood due to sea water also now reaching the village.

• A mixing of airs between the Atlantic storm and Prevailing Winds caused an abnormally high level of rainfall in the period.

Effects

Primary

Social- 75 cars, 5 caravans, 6 buildings and several boats were washed into the sea. Many people were also left homeless overnight having to sleep in abandoned homes. Roads were blocked disallowing rescue helicopters to land near the stranded

Natural

• The flooding was caused by remarkably heavy rain in South Africa, lasting for five weeks in early 2000. This was supplemented with Botswana receiving 75% of its annual rainfall within 1 week.

• Cyclone Eline hit and with it brang more very heavy rainfall.

• The rivers of the Limpopo and Zambezi ultimately burst their banks, resulting in severe flooding in Mozambique.

Effects

Primary

Social- 630 schools were closed, leaving 214,000 pupils without classrooms. 42 health units were ruined, including Beira Central Hospital, the second largest hospital in the poor country. Approximately 800 people were killed.

Economic- 90% of the country 's operative irrigation infrastructure was damaged, causing the worst of the cultivation damages suffered. 1,400 square kilometres of cultivated and grazing land was lost, leaving 113,000 small farming households with nothing to economically support them. 20,000 missing cattle were reported, with many feared to have drowned or contracted disease leading to their death and to the loss of their owners. The initial damage was estimated at $500 million which was 12.5% of the country’s GDP in