Worst Floods since 1789 (From Hereford Times)

Worst Floods since 1789

10:06pm Thursday 26th July 2007

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This July has got to down in everybody here in Herefordshire's - and indeed the Midland's worst summer in memory. In fact l think we've had our summer it was in April and we blinked and missed it!
According to the BBC,weather records started in 1766, and the highest ever flooding recorded before this year was in 1789 at 13.8inches of rainfall in the three months of May to July.
This year during the same three months we have already had 15.2inchesof rain, thats more than double the average (7.3") for this time of year - and there is still 5 days of July to go! It has been recorded that we have had a months worth of rain in 1 day!!
This has obviously had a devastating effect on our County and indeed the Midlands.

" These have been the worst floods in living memory, the County had at least 100 extra rivers on Friday that it did not have before"

says Robert Blower of Herefordshire Council.
Indeed have a look at the pictures on this Hereford Times site - many are spectacular in a horrifying way.
It is said that over 10,000 people in 7 midland counties have been affected and that the clean up bill will reach over 2 billion pounds.
My lovely blog collegue Cindi Read, rightly commented on how this will inevitably mean an increase in all our insurance premiums for next year. But l have to disagree when she says that many of us will

"moan till it happens to us and we need to make a claim"

here here, many of you may say; but do you realise that many of these insurance companies will not pay out for flooding these days - citing acts of god!
Indeed, a friend of mine lives in a north Herefordshire village, that has never flooded and indeed has been lucky enough to stay dry this time - although the roads to the village have flooded, earlier this year he received a call from his insurance company informing him that he would not be covered for flood damage. Why he asked l am not in an 'at risk' area or on a flood plain? They did not give a very clear explanation citing 'company policy'. So please do give thought to the unfortunate people whose homes and business's have been flooded - and face a huge job of clearing up all that red herefordshire mud! as they may not get a penny from their insurance companies unless very lucky, and even though the government have promised financial help - we all know how long that takes!!. Indeed if you do have anything you can donate to these people to help them please as Cindi says use the local recycling people (see her blog below).
I would like you all to give a huge thanks to all the police, fire, army and ambulance crews and all the willing and brave volunteers who have used their tractors and 4x4's to help move people to safety at this dreadful time. A big round of applause to you all - THANK YOU .
Finally on a lighter note - I hear Hampster's do like water!! I was very impressed to read how Richard Hampster Hammond jogged for hours to reach his home near Ledbury after getting stranded in the floods - because it was his young daughter;s birthday the next day. Good on him l say - in these days of Celebrity Divas its very nice to know he really is the family man he makes out to be in the press. Many a so called Celebrity would have made themselves comfy at the nearest hotel or pub and played the Diva making no such strenuous effort to reach home or if had attempted it made damn sure there was a paparazzi on hand to photograph it.
Well done Hampster, you've always been a favourite of mine and its nice to know you are a geuine family man.