weathering the storm - north west flooding resource€¦2 — weathering the storm 2009 weathering...

Weathering the Storm 2009 Weathering the Storm 2009 — 1

Editor: Carol Thompson

Published by Keswick Flood Action Group

Cover Photo: David Leighton

Printed by McKanes Printers, Keswick t: 017687 80574

Contents

In Partnership with

BUILD UP

Foreward 3

Environment Agency Map 4

Introduction 5

Hydrology of the Catchment 6

Keswick’s Flood Procedure 7

Flood Forecast 8 - 9

Emails Showing KFAG Build Up 10 - 13

EMERGENCY SERVICES

Trials and Tribulations of a Flood Duty Officer 14 - 15

Strategic Gold Command 16

The Policeman’s Story 17 - 19

The Fire Chief’s Story 21 - 22

CONTROL ROOM

The Gate Keeper’s Story 23

The Gate Keeper’s Assistant’s Story 25

Sarah Robinson - EA Liaison Officer 26 - 27

The Drains! 28 - 29

The Town Clerk’s Story 30

The Mayor’s Story 31 - 32

The Tourism Association’s Story 33 - 34

VOLUNTARY SECTOR RESPONSE

Story from Mountain Rescue 35

A Lion’s Story 37

A Rotarian’s Story 38

A Floodwatch Volunteer’s Story 39

A Fundraiser’s Story 41 - 4

EVACUATED!

An Elliott Park Resident’s Story 44

Ravensfield’s Story 45

Rescued by Boat 46

Tink’s Story 47

Lakehead Court 48

Weathering the StormA Community response to the November 2009 Floods

Weathering the Storm 2009 — 32 — Weathering the Storm 2009

ForewordThis book is a collection of stories and pictures of the Keswick Flood of 2009. Keswick flooded onthe morning of November 19th and inevitably it was overshadowed by later events in Cockermouthand Workington. However, it was a major event with some 280 properties flooded and many peopleare still out of their homes six months later.My heart goes out to those who were flooded, I can only imagine their pain and the stress they havesuffered repairing their home and rebuilding their lives. Hopefully telling their tale has beencathartic and will help with the recovery process. Those of us who were involved as either membersof the emergency services or as volunteers have shared their journey from a different perspectivebut have also been affected by the event. The book is not a continuous narrative but a series of stories as told by people involved in the event.The sum total is a jigsaw creating a picture of its effect on a large number of people fulfilling a largevariety of roles. It is impossible to read without been moved by some of the accounts.I think it is an inspiring record of a community uniting when confronted with a common threat.Having been on the ground I am full of admiration for the skill and professionalism of theemergency services and the Environment Agency. The town owes them a debt of gratitude. TheMayor and staff of the Town Council played a pivotal role on the day. I would also like to give thanksto those voluntary organisations Keswick Mountain Rescue Team, Churches Together, KeswickLions, Keswick Rotary Club as well as the Keswick Flood Action Group who responded on the dayand have continued to help in the recovery.This book complements an exhibition at Theatre by the Lake. I would like to thank Lynne Jones andCarol Thompson of Keswick Flood Action Group, Pat Ackred and Susan Leighton from the FloodSupport Centre and Helen Dalzell for the enormous amount of work they have done puttingtogether the exhibition and the book.They are grateful to those who contributed stories and/or photographs. They would also like tothank Theatre by the Lake for hosting the exhibition, the Environment Agency for help with fundingand McKanes Printers for publishing the book.

Graham ThompsonChairman, Keswick Flood Action Group

EVACUATION CENTRES

Southey Street - Evacuation Centre 49

Convention Centre’s Story 50

The Skiddaw Hotel 51

SPECIAL STORIES

High Hill 52

Stories from United Utilities 54

Snippets from Survivors 55 - 56

A Farmer’s Story 57 - 58

The Saddest Story 59

Booths 60

Rescuing the Horses 62 - 63

Heavens Above! 65

Pets Lifeline’s Story 68

Not just Keswick - Portinscale and Braithwaite too! 69

The Parish Priest’s Story 70

Restoring Hands 72

CHILDREN’S STORIES

Stories from Keswick Children 74

Stories from Braithwaite Children 75

AFTERMATH

Together Towards Success Certificate 76

The Flood Support Centre 77

The Aftermath 78 - 79

United Utilities in Keswick 79

Environment Agency’s Response to the November 2009 Flood Event 80

BUILD UP


IntroductionThe first recorded flood in Keswick was in 1822, since when there have been around twentysignificant flood events. Prior to November 2009, the most recent events were December 1985,when some 70 properties were flooded and January 2005, which affected 185 properties. TheNovember 2009 event was more severe with some 280 properties under water.The River Greta, which flows through Keswick, has three tributaries: the Glenderaterra, theGlenderamackin and St John’s Beck and has a catchment area of 147 km2. Thirlmere reservoir,operated by United Utilities, intercepts water from 28% of the catchment area of the Greta andprovides some protection from flooding when it is not full. Even when full the peak outflow isreduced by reservoir attenuation. United Utilities were trialling a programme of controlled releasesfrom the reservoir in an attempt to provide spare capacity during 2009. The difficulty is maintainingspare capacity when a series of wet depressions hit the Lakes, as happened in Autumn 2009.28 inches of rain fell on the Thirlmere catchment in November 2009. If Thirlmere had been only halffull on November 1st it would still have overflowed before the 19th.The River Greta rises very rapidly and 19th November was no exception. Within 3 hours of theEnvironment Agency Flood Warning the river overtopped in Hospital Field. This led to extensiveflooding in the Crosthwaite Road/High Hill area. A number of houses were also flooded by the Gretaalong Penrith Road and Greta Street as the day progressed.In addition Booths Supermarket and a large number of properties in the Elliott Park area wereflooded when the sewerage pumping station could not cope with the volume of water.Following the January 2005 floods, Mary McNamara, a resident of High Hill, called a public meeting.The outcome of this meeting was the formation of the Keswick Flood Action Group, an open body,which aimed to work towards improved flood protection for Keswick. The Group has worked closelywith the Environment Agency and a scheme for improved defences is to be submitted for fundinglater this Summer. A group chaired by Lord Campbell-Savours has worked with United Utilities towork towards management of Thirlmere for flood alleviation. This process had started beforeNovember 2009 and considerable progress has been made since as outlined at the end of thispublication.After the 2005 flood my wife suggested that it would be a good idea to have a set of volunteers,unaffected by flooding themselves, who could help move property before a flood and in theaftermath. I took on the task of forming a such a group, which by November had over 20 volunteerson the list. The Environment Agency were very supportive and we had excellent two-waycommunication with their Penrith Control Room during the emergency.Chris Briggs of Cumbria County Council Emergency Planning/Resilience Officer has also beensupportive and was instrumental in widening the scheme to a Town Emergency Plan. This plan hadmoved forward and by November other local organisations including Keswick Lions, KeswickRotary and Churches Together were also involved. The Council Chamber had been identified as theControl Centre though a phone was only installed on the morning of the flood!This introduction has aimed to explain the risk of flooding in Keswick and also to outline theplanned community response in place on the eve of the flood.


Environment Agency copyright 2010 - All rights reserved.

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BUILD UP BUILD UP


Environment Agency copyright 2010 - All rights reserved.

Hydrology of the Catchment Keswick’s Flood ProcedureCatchment Facts:

Total catchment area to Low Briery = 147km2

Glenderamackin catchment area = 65km2

St John’s Beck catchment area = 53km2

Thirlmere Reservoir catchment area = 42km2

Naddle Beck and Glenderaterra = 24km2

Small Watercourses = 53km2

• Rainfall on average greater over the southern extent of the catchment

• Thirlmere Reservoir dam completed 1894. Reservoir covered area of 2 existing natural lakes

• Flow data available at three locations throughout the catchment (red triangles)

Glenderamackin 44%

St John’s Beck 36%

Thirlmere Reservoir 28%

Percentages shown indicatecontribution to Greta catchment area

- based on River Greta

EA issues a Flood Watch (Weather based)Penrith EA Incident Room in Contact with KFAG

KFAG circulate an email explaining an assessment of the situation

KFAG check river levels on the hourResults and any further info circulated by email hourly

KFAG liaise with the EA and watch the situationHourly emails will continue

When the Greta gets to 1m 20cm on the High Hill CornerKFAG call out the leads for Lions/Churches Together/Flood VolunteersThe SARDA radios obtained

When EA think it is necessary/when river is on 1m 50cm and it is still raining/ when flood warningissued for Area B KFAG will telephone/radio:

• the Town Clerk for access to the Council Offices• Lions/Churches Together/Flood Volunteers to start their cascade

From this point the Coordinating Room takes over and will inform the emergency services it is upand running: Fire Brigade, Police, Ambulance Control, KMRT etc.

Wall marker Photo: Lynne Jones

BUILD UP BUILD UP


Flood Guidance Statement 15:00hrs 18 th November 2009 Our assessment of daily flood risk for England and Wales is below.

1500 – 2359hrs Wednesday 18 Nov 2009

0000 – 2359hrs Thursday

19 Nov 2009

0000 – 2359hrs Friday

20 Nov 2009

0000 – 2359hrs Saturday

21 Nov 2009

0000 – 2359hrs Sunday

22 Nov 2009

Headline: extensive property flooding possible in the north west of England

General OverviewThe main concern in the forecast period is for the rainfall expected overnight tonight into tomorrow for the northwest of England (particularly Cumbria). There is the potential for some exceptionally large rainfalltotals and there is a high risk of significant property flooding in this area. The severe flood warning in force earlier for the River Irwell in Lancashire has now been downgraded to a flood watch.

Rain will spread into Cumbria this evening, and is expected to be persistent and heavy through much of tonight and tomorrow. An updated ERA guidance is now in force highlighting an extreme weather event for the Cumbria area. That rain will spread to most places for a time on Friday before clearing eastwards. Saturday will see further rain, heavy at times, spreading northwards and followed by showers andperhaps some outbreaks of rain on Sunday.

Following the recent rainfall, river catchments in most parts of England and Wales are already saturated and are expected to respond quickly to further rainfall. There are already a large number of flood watches and flood warnings in force.

Overnight tonight and during tomorrow, there is also an increasing surge in the northern Irish Sea and gale force winds which may lead to tide-locking in the estuaries along the west coast from Aberystwyth northwards.

Weather Warnings & Flood Warnings in force ( click here ) as of 15:00hrs 0 severe flood warnings / 46 flood warnings / 81 flood watches 1 extreme rainfall guidance (ref 038-A) / 0 extreme rainfall alerts

Best JudgementHigh confidence of exceptionally heavy rain over Cumbria tonight. The map overleaf shows the forecast rainfall totals expected from this evening through to Friday morning.

Catchments and rivers won’t have fully drained before the further rainfall arrives, hence there is the potential for a large number of flood watches, flood warnings and some severe flood warnings to beissued during the forecast period. Current forecasts suggest a high risk of significant property flooding in the areas coloured red and a medium/low risk in the areas shaded amber/yellow above.

The Environment Agency regions are running their detailed regional models regularly to assess the impact of the forecast rain. In North West region the areas likely to be worst affected are the rivers draining the high fells in Cumbria, such as the Eden, Derwent and Ehen. Due to the large rainfall totals

Please be aware that the Met Office's Emergency Support website has been activated. Responders can request a user id and password for access to this by emailing [email protected]

Crown, Met Office and Environment Agency 2009 Crown, Met Office and Environment Agency 2009

Key Very low risk Low risk Medium risk High risk RIVER & COASTAL FLOODINGProbability >100 properties will flood, or extreme danger to life,from rivers or the sea.

<20% 20% to <40% 40% to <60% 60%

EXTREME RAINFALLProbability that ERA thresholds will be met, leading to possible surface water flooding.

<10% 10% to <20% 20% to <60% 60%

Suggested actions � Business as usual

� Consider liaising with partner organisations

� Be aware of the latest weather/flood warnings and alerts

� Consider liaising with partner organisations

� Consult surface water flood maps and local flood warning plan maps as appropriate

� Consider activating emergencyprocedures

expected and strong winds blowing down leaves and branches, surface water flooding problems are also anticipated as local drainage becomes blocked and overwhelmed.

Next Statement Due: 05:00hrs on Thursday 19th November 2009Contact Details: Flood Forecasting Centre Duty Hydrologist 0300 12345 01

All Times are Local

Forecast rainfall totals – 21:00 Wednesday evening to 06:00 Friday morning

“This Flood Guidance Statement was published on 18 November by the Flood Forecasting Centre,a joint partnership between the Met Office and Environment Agency providing guidance toemergency responders.”

Flood Guidance Statement 15-00 hours 18th November 2009

Our assessment of daily flood risk for England and Wales is below.

Forecast rainfall totals - 21-00 hours Wednesday evening to 06-00 hours Friday morning

BUILD UP BUILD UP


Emails Showing KFAG Build UPFrom: Lynne Jones to KFAGSent: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 6-08 pmSubject: 6 pm Wednesday

The Greta is happily in its bed on High Hill corner and we are back from Wales a day early so wecan watch it rise and worry. No rain here at present so next bulletin at 8 pm (always assumingcomputer still up and running).Lynne

From: Rod Donington-SmithTo: Lynne JonesSent: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 7-04 pmSubject: Raindrops keep falling on my head.

Don't think there will be any problems today from the river but tomorrow (that is anytime aftermidnight) that is another matter.I've advised my neighbours to fit their floodboards/floodgates. No sandbags up at the ruddydriveway bridge so life here could be interesting.CheersRod

From: Lynne Jones To: Rod Donington-Smith Sent: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 7-40 pmSubject: Re: Raindrops keep falling on my head

Seen a wagon with loads of sandbags go by 20 mins ago. All our heavy furniture is upstairs (thanksto Andy & Graham T) so dining room & our back room pretty much empty. Flood gates are on theirway up.... I am ready for a crisis! Graham will be running the emergency control from his home,police know. Mind you that is after he has spent the evening at a wine circle "do" so he might be alittle merry.Lynne

Sent: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 8-07 pmSubject: 8 pm Wednesday

All quiet at the moment. Will email again at 11 p.m. as the river is quite uninteresting and it is dry.However, for those who haven't read it, this is the met office assessment of things - it does lookfrom the rain radar as if it is hitting Dumfries more so far.

Very Heavy Rain

Rain will become very heavy and persistent early on Thursday and continue until Friday morning.Rainfall accumulations of 50-100mm are expected quite widely, with up to 250mm possible locallyover high ground. With this amount of rain falling onto saturated ground there is a high risk oflocalised flooding. The rain will be accompanied by severe gale force winds.The public are advised to take extra care and refer to the latest Environment Agency, Floodline, andFlood Warnings in force.The public are advised to take extra care and refer to the Highways Agency for further adviceregarding traffic disruption on motorways and trunk roads.

From: Fire OfficerTo: Lynne JonesSent: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 8-25 pmSubject: RE: 8 pm Wednesday

Thanks Lynne, Depending on the situation in the morning, it may be prudent to have some sort of planningmeeting if the forecast proves correct. I hope I am wrong.RegardsAdrian

From: Lynne JonesTo: Fire Officer, KFAGSent: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 8-47 pmSubject: Re: 8 pm Wednesday

Graham T has got the key for the council offices but he thinks (since it isn't properly organised yet)it may be best to run things from his house. He and Carol are at a wine circle "do" this evening andhe is calling in on the way home for an update (around 10.30) so I'll tell him you might like aplanning meeting, I am sure he'll be keen. His home phone is 72316, Carol will be brilliant at theorganising side of things and Graham has contacted all his heads of volunteers so they know thingsmay happen. He spoke to PC John Shaw so at least he'll know what is going on and I am sure he'llmake sure the next shift do too!Councillor Martin Pugmire will help at 6a Briar Rigg Control if needed, Councillor Lorraine Taylor isaway. Spoke to Elaine Alston (First Responders) in Booths and she'll be waiting for a call if needed.I think we are all pretty organised up to the point when the emergency centre gets up and running.... and by then I'll probably be sinking so I'll not be bothered what happens!! What time can wephone you until for just a general chat? Pre organising a meeting - or not as the case may be. Wethink it gets bad around midnight and pretty nasty 9 a.m. tomorrow. If 250mls falls on fells near herewe'll be stuffed!!Just about to have a bath and try to relax for a while as I have been carrying furniture upstairs forHOURS!! Thanks so much for being there for us all.Lynne

From: Fire OfficerTo: KFAGSent: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 9-02 pmSubject: RE: 8 pm Wednesday

Dear All,It sounds like you are in command and are pre planning, I am on call tonight so can be contactedat any time. Keep me informed of any developmentsRegardsAdrian

From: Lynne JonesTo: Fire OfficeSent: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 10-16 pmSubject: Re: 8 pm Wednesday

I have attached our Flood Procedure Plan and also the 2 spreadsheets for contacts - one is for KFAGflood action and the other was a fairly extensive list of contacts I did ready for the Emergency Roomto cope with anything up to a plague of locusts and beyond I think! We are on level 4 of the FloodProcedure I think, at least everyone is "heads up" and I have a SARDA radio here so presumablyeveryone else who needs one has them too. I think I'll make you up the same file I gave the townclerk, Adrian and also give one to the Police Station.Graham has said if the river gets to 120cm tonight before he has finished wine circle I am to texthim, it does not seem likely though. As you'll see we have everything organised to river levels andI did say to Graham that he should be in contact with Radio Cumbria during the night to give outinformation since we tell everyone to stay in and tune in!I don't know how the others perceive the Emergency Room but I look at it as being primarily aninformation gathering/circulating mechanism. The emergency services will do the responding to alarge extent I hope.Lynne

From: Lynne JonesTo: Fire Officer, SARDA, KFAG, Town HallSent: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 11-14 pmSubject: River 11 pm

Still in its course but the grass area is very wet so now it is raining and the Greta is definitely goingfaster it will not take much to cover.We have booted mobiles/lap tops put new batteries in radio, found the torches/candles and matchesand moved the car to higher ground so just watching and waiting. Will email again at midnight all being well.Lynne

BUILD UP BUILD UP


From: Lynne JonesTo: Fire OfficerSent: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 11-39 pmSubject: Fw: Re flood guidance update

Graham T has just talked to Maria at the EA and the band of rain they expected around 9 p.m. is notdue until 3 a.m. When it comes it will hit hard but it looks like we'll not have to deal with flooddefences/sandbags and the elderly until it is light. I am going to bed after the midnight email andwill do another at 3 a.m.Lynne

From: Lynne JonesTo: Fire Officer, KFAG, Penrith EA, Town HallSent: Thursday, November 19, 2009 12:07 amSubject: midnight

Greta just going over grass. Rain steady, quite heavy, not very windy.Will email again at 3 a.m. If I wake up and can force myself to the corner!Lynne

From: Lynne JonesTo: Carol and Graham ThompsonSent: Thursday, November 19, 2009 3-14 amSubject: Just for you!

I think it looks like it might get to 120cm at around 5 a.m. but weather supposed to be worse nowso I'll set alarm for 4-30 a.m. have a look out the window and then email about then or 5 a.m. If youare up at all email to let me know when, depending on how much it has risen and since we haveradios presume you want to leave calling people until later? I suppose we might ask EA when it getsnear.Lynne

From: Lynne JonesTo: Fire Officer, SARDA, KFAG, Penrith EA, Town HallSent: Thursday, November 19, 2009 5-00 am

Rain steady, wind quite calm, river now just about 1m10cm and rising.Graham seems to think it is going up 22cm per hour so will look and email again at 6 when, by thatassessment, it will be over the 120 trigger. I assume that the arches will fill before 4 hours are upgiven the curvature of bridge and the expected increase in rain.Lynne

From: Lynne JonesTo: Carol and Graham ThompsonSent: Thursday, November 19, 2009 5-19 amSubject: EA news

Sarah from EA has just phoned. Thirlmere is overspilling by .5metre and that is the same asyesterday morning, it is up and down but not rising significantly. They expect the worst weather 8 a.m. now and this may be delayed again. There are gaps in the downpours which will help but itis going on a long time so by Friday I'll be tired and ratty!

From: Graham ThompsonTo: Lynne JonesSent: Thursday, November 19, 2009 5:27 AMSubject: Re: EA news

I am now up following the flood warning from EA.It sounds horrendous outside. See you shortlyGraham

From: Lynne JonesTo: Carol and Graham ThompsonSent: Thursday, November 19, 2009 6:27 AMSubject: Fw: River

Going faster now.Lynne

From: Mick GuyTo: Lynne JonesSent: Thursday, November 19, 2009 6-23 amSubject: River

1m 30 at 6-14 a.m.Mick

From: Lynne Jones To: Fire Officer, KFAG, Penrith EA, Town HallSent: Thursday, November 19, 2009 6-31 amSubject: 6 am and a bit Thursday

1m 30 at 6-14 a.m. and I think Graham is organising his volunteers, always darkest before thedawn..... Greta is obviously rising fast and it is raining hard so not too optimistic about what it willfeel like when the EA think the real weather is arriving at 8 a.m. (ish).Lynne

From: Lynne Jones To: KFAG, Fire Officer, Penrith EA, Town HallSent: Thursday, November 19, 2009 7-02 amSubject: 7 am

145cms and rising fast. Pelting with rain.

From: Graham ThompsonTo: KFAGSent: Thursday, November 19, 2009 7-07 amSubject: and a bit more news

Dear all,Have phoned EA. Rugby Club etc at low level at present. Reported bubbling manhole. They arecontacting UU. Adrian Holme (Fire officer) then phoned. They are pumping at Elliott Park awaitingarrival of UU.Don't need volunteers there at present.

From: Lynne JonesTo: Carol and Graham ThompsonSent: Thursday, November 19, 2009 8-07 amSubject: 8 am

Dear CarolApparently there are 2 fire engines pumping out at Elliott Park and someone has just phoned fromthe old Methodist Church to ask for sandbags, water to his doorstep. Steve at Elliott Park askedwhere they would be evacuated to - any ideas Carol? I said I expected Keswick School. Any plans?Give us a call if you can to say if you've been told by anyone.EA issued a flood warning for area B at same time we got to 160cm so I reckon we timed theresponse just right.Lynne

From: Lynne JonesTo: KFAG, Fire Officer, SARDA, Town HallSent: Thursday, November 19, 2009 8-29 amSubject: Flood Warning

The EA have phoned to say they expect Area C (Crosthwaite Rd etc) to flood at around 12 noon butthey aren't certain, just giving us advance warning. They are working out when to send out a floodwarning at moment.Greta Grove area sounds bad, 2 fire engines and the pump.

BUILD UP BUILD UP


Trials and Tribulationsof a Flood Duty OfficerAs a Flood Warning Duty Officer you have a natural tendency to become a weather anorak andamong my colleagues in the Penrith office I am certainly seen as wearing a brightly coloured one.We always do our weekly Flood Duty Team handover every Tuesday morning and on the morningof Tuesday 17th November 2009 I approached the start of my seven day stint with a bit oftrepidation. Taking into account the weather over the previous weeks, already saturated catchmentsand the forecast that morning, I was preparing for a few sleep interrupted nights at the very least.There was already a Flood Warning in place for Keswick Lakeside Campsite due to the level ofDerwentwater and a Flood Watch was also in place for the Upper Derwent Catchment.‘Mental note made to re-locate to the back bedroom so my partner Judith does not get disturbed ifmy phone starts to ring in the early hours with alarms being activated’. Such is the lot of a FloodWarning Duty Officer.The main thing I remember about that Tuesday was how much time I spent glued to the phone.Having spoken that morning with Mike, our Regional Monitoring and Forecasting Duty Officer, I gotthe latest forecast. I think my blood pressure was beginning to climb and the day job went out of the window. I consulted with Glyn, the Area Flood Risk Manager, and Les, my Team Leader. Bothagreed with me that it was prudent to set up a 2nd duty shift and to proceed with giving a heads-up to partners and community groups.Les arranged to brief the Cumbria Local Resilience Forum Co-ordinating Group as they hadpreviously arranged a meeting and I made arrangements with Marianne, NW Region Press Office,for Glyn to do an interview for Border TV. With the assistance of my team a 2nd duty shift was puton standby. I also consulted with our Operations Duty Officer re any operational activities such asgrid runs and checking key assets.During the afternoon I briefed local partners and the leads of our then existing community groupswith the latest forecasts and the possibility that Flood Watches would be issued by the EnvironmentAgency later that day. I also provided Glyn with a brief for his Border TV interview. I believe thisearly heads-up was important in alerting key responders to the potential of an event occurring andlessons learned from what we did in Cumbria have been input into the Partner Advisory Servicewhich the Environment Agency has recently introduced to set up this process on a formalised basisin England and Wales.After spending the afternoon on the phone and not having received an expected Heavy RainfallWarning from the Met Office I briefed my duty team to expect a call out possibly later that eveningand arranged cover next morning as I had to take Judith to Carlisle Hospital re an urgentappointment.

Timeline:

• 17th November 18-00 hours: Got some tea, set up my laptop at home and tested all systemswere working correctly and watched news and weather forecast. Glyn did a good interview with Border TV

• 19-45 hours: Alex, the Monitoring and Forecasting Duty Officer (MFDO), rang to say the Met Officehad issued a Heavy Rainfall Warning for Cumbria following their latest model run. Period of heavy rain due between 03-00 - 09-00 hours on 18th November with up to 50mm maximum rain overthe highground. Informed the MFDO that I would be attending Penrith Office to issue FloodWatches for remaining 13 river catchments in Cumbria

• 19-50 hours: Called out two Assistant Duty Officers - Susan and Val to attend office• 20-15 hours: Office opened, Flood Watches issued, key partners updated and actions completed

associated with issuing Flood Watches• 22-35 hours: Office closed, briefed team to expect a possible call out tomorrow morning• 22-45 hours: Returned home, said goodnight to Judith, went to bed in the back room expecting

some alarms after 03-00 hours on the 18th

• 18th November 2010 - Phone ringing !!! ‘What time is it - 01-40 hours: Uuhh morning Alex (Alex bright as a button with his strong Wigan accent). “David - Brotherswater Rain Gauge hasalarmed with 20mm of rain in the last 6 hours.” Think it is starting earlier than expected. Nothing new there with the vagaries of the Cumbrian weather

• Five more calls from MFDO - Alarms up to 01-40 hours - 02-40 hours up and downstairsmonitoring on laptop, river levels responding quickly

• 02-40 hours: receive River Level Standby Alarms in rapid succession for the River Mint upstreamof Kendal and River Eden at Kirkby Stephen and Great Musgrave – Call out full duty team to formally open the Penrith Office. Mike travelling in from Keswick and Val from Carlisle

• Receive six more Rain Gauge Alarms• 03-45 hours: Penrith Area Incident Room formally opened. (Did not close again until eight days

later on 25th November 2009)

During the event I changed role to work as a Base Controller in overall charge of the Area IncidentRoom at Penrith responsible for co-ordinating the area’s response to the floods and liaising withcolleagues at Gold Control, and the NW Regional Office, maintaining liaison with partners andcommunity groups and ensuring the welfare and safety of staff both in the field and the IncidentRoom. That is another story but all I can do is praise the staff who worked alongside me for theirdedication and commitment along with the fantastic work carried out by the emergency services,partners and community groups. As an ex-Cumbria Police employee for 18 years I was extremelysaddened by the death of PC Bill Barker but I do believe the way the multi-agency response to thefloods was conducted following lessons we took on board since the 2005 Floods, i.e. Multi AgencyResponse Plans and Exercising, Community Groups and Community Resilience Plans etc furtherloss was averted.As a son of Cumbria I am proud of the way Cumbrians responded to the floods. Their stoic outlookin the face of adversity and attitude to rebuilding their homes and lives has impressed Governmentand VIPs alike.

Postscript

Judith my partner was diagnosed with breast cancer on 18th November 2009. Following twooperations, a course of Chemo and Radiotherapy and the loss of her beloved father just afterChristmas her recovery is going well.She is my inspiration and the work of recovery and implementing lessons learned from theNovember 2009 Floods continues.

David SnaithEnvironment Agency, Area Base Controller

EMERGENCY SERVICES EMERGENCY SERVICES

Weathering the Storm 2009 — 17

18th November 2009

Water levels starting to rise and concerns start to come in for various locations. River level at theCamping and Caravan club shows 2.3, need to evacuate at 2.7.Visitors to the site are being informed of the situation, some don’t hang around and start to packand leave. Within two hours the site has been emptied, just as well as the river level hits 2.8, a signof things to come.22-00 hours, coming to end of my shift but still attend a report of a tree down across the A591 nearto Lyzzick Hall; while sitting waiting for Highways to come and clear the debris the rain is gettingharder and the wind stronger, I don’t like the look of what’s happening outside.Midnight and a typical day at work nearly coming to an end, rain still coming down and the forecastis not good, why do I get the feeling I will be called back in to work?

The Policeman’s Story

Knights Bridge Open Photo: Mike Gormley

19th November 2009

07-00 hours, had a few hours sleep and the phone rings, I was expecting this. “Garry, this isWorkington Comm.’s unit, how soon can you come back into work there are severe flood alerts forthe Keswick area?” It’s amazing how some words can make you come alive in the blink of an eye,“I only live 15 minutes away so I will be there in half an hour.”Over the past few months I have been reviewing our flood action plan to see if what we are doingis correct and all the way from home to work this was running through my mind. How many staffdo I have on duty? How bad is the forecast? What’s the river level like now? Lots and lots of thingsfor me to consider and as the day progressed it would give me the answers.As I drive along Penrith Road on my way into work I get the answer to how high the river levels are,my next thought is are they still rising and how fast, 3 staff on duty for me at the station, time to sitdown with them and see what they already know from overnight and then put plans in place to doas much as we can.

Strategic Gold CommandOn the Thursday and Friday of the floods, I was based at Carlton Hall in Penrith, usually used as thePolice HQ. I was to provide our senior managers information from what was happening on theground. I liaised closely with the incident room to feed in key information on how the flood situationwas developing. I started at 8 am on the Thursday morning, and saw nothing of the floods on theground – it was like being locked away in a bunker!On Thursday the situation developed very quickly, I worked with the fire service to organise our tenboats to go out to Cockermouth and help with the rescue of residents. We also worked to get ourpumps out on site to help try and move the flood water. I had to break the news to all at Gold Command on the Thursday evening that the river levels wereexpected to rise another metre. The conditions on the ground were getting more and more serious,and the rescue services needed to start looking at other ways to rescue people as using boats wouldbe too dangerous.After a long working day on Thursday, I headed to Gold Command again on Friday to help producemaps highlighting areas that had flooded, so that strategies for the day could be put in place (thisincluded rescues and closed off areas).The event is still continuing. I have been going over what has happened every day since as I haveorganised briefing and collating all feedback from our work so that we can be better prepared forwhen the next flood comes. Through using what happened in Cumbria, I have already helped otherregions to prepare their flood plans so that as an organisation we can all learn from each other.

Diane JacksonEnvironment Agency, Strategic Gold Command Support Officer

Photo: Mike GormleyWall marker

16 — Weathering the Storm 2009 EMERGENCY SERVICES EMERGENCY SERVICES


They tell me Borrowdale is flooded at Rosthwaite and also St John’s in the Vale.I make sure everyone is kitted up and working in pairs, I have my officers’ safety to think about aswell as everything else, and they are my responsibility.08-00 hours, the river level shows 1.8m at Greta Bridge, the trigger point for evacuation of propertyis 1.9m, rain still falling.First meeting of partner agencies at the incident room in the Town Hall. The Fire Service,Ambulance Service, Environment Agency and Mountain Rescue Team are there as well asvolunteers from the Flood Action Group, Lions etc, they are all a sight for sore eyes, believe me. It’smy job to take responsibility now and ensure all the teams are working together, I call the meetingto order and ask the Environment Agency for a weather update; not good, more rain forecast andriver levels still rising. I ask all the other agencies for an update on what they have re staffing andequipment and for what personal knowledge they have of what’s happening in various locations.Tasks are allocated to various people and the meeting will reconvene in an hour for the next update.I now have to prepare for the worst and the possible evacuation of a lot of people from variouslocations so the initial calls are made to get emergency reception centres up and running, by10-30 hours everything is in place.2 more staff called into work for me, they are soon put to use.Reports of severe flooding now coming in from the surrounding area, roads becoming blocked etc,just when I thought it was bad enough a 999 call comes in “reports coming in of a upturned canoefloating down the river Greta in the area of Fitz Park, no one seen with the canoe”. I send a patrolto the park area and I go to the Greta Bridge area to see what’s happening, I can see an upturnedcanoe floating towards the pencil factory area, can’t see anyone with it, damn.After a few more seconds two or three more canoes come round the corner into view I can see aperson in the water with them as they paddle across to get out near the Pencil factory car park. I shout across and ask if everyone is ok and accounted for, thankfully I get the reply “yes”; time tomove on now I just have to leave them to it and get back to where I was and the task in hand.Get my staff back together for a briefing at the Police station. Residents at Ravensfield are my bigconcern and wheels are put in motion for alternative accommodation for them, I need to movepeople in safety and not with water lapping round their knees. I always have to think ahead and thewhat if scenario. Keswick School is closing and parents are coming to collect their children butmany of the roads are now flooded, do I now have a thousand children on my hands as well?River coming over its banks and need to evacuate Crosthwaite Road area, St Kentigern’s shelteredhousing also have 20 people to evacuate from there. River now breaches on High Hill and theevacuation area gets larger.I am also told that the A591 is closed and the A66 will be shortly, I am being cut off, we are on ourown and I am evacuating virtually the whole West side of Keswick. Getting the evacuation centresopen early is now proving its worth.Phone calls coming in thick and fast now from all over the country, people worried about relativesin the area, Sky news doing its bit to let everyone know.I have got to get people out now and to safety, but I can’t just let them go; I have to try and maintainrecords of who has gone and where, I need to be able to try and account for everyone.Calls coming in from other locations, severe flooding in the valleys, trees down and landslidesblocking roads, cars stuck in flood waters and all the time I have to try and manage everything that’scoming in. It’s now at the stage where I have to make tough decisions in what we attend to, I amnot going to be able to please everyone or respond to everything and I need to be able to justifywhat decisions I make. The flood area in the town gets bigger, now looking at sections of the towncentre and east of the town to evacuate.Back at the station and we are starting to flood as well, the basement and boiler room are underwater, I need to ensure the rest of the station does not flood, just what I need, something else toadd to my list !!!Been at work for 8 hours now had nothing to eat or any break, don’t have time, and grab a drinkhere and there when I can. Third change of clothing now, if this gets soaked through then it will haveto last me the rest of my shift, but that’s the least of my concerns. I now have more than 250 premises evacuated and well over 100 people in evacuation centres,roads blocked and some very tired staff.Attend the flood at Penrith Road and have to physically remove a freelance photographer from thewater to stop them putting themselves in danger. I tell him in no uncertain terms what will happenif he goes back in, he gets the message.23-00 hours, been at work 14 hours now, need some sleep. I will be back in at 08-00 hours the nextday.

20th November 2009

08-00 hours, back at work, hardly slept at all thinking about what still needs to be done etc. Thingshave got no better over night, there are a number of residents unaccounted for and I need to findthem. I am told that a colleague, PC Bill Barker, has been lost overnight at Workington due to abridge collapse, a very sad and sobering thought but I can’t dwell on that.Daylight shows the extent of the floods overnight, I need to go and look at the A66 to see if we haveany link at all to the rest of West Cumbria and any possible assistance to help us begin any recoveryphase. I need to get to the outlying areas to make sure people are ok and accounted for.A66 at Braithwaite and Portinscale, abandoned vehicles everywhere, I need every single vehiclechecked to ensure there is no one inside that we need to rescue. It’s quite a surreal sight to see acaravan floating along the A66.A66 closed at Crosthwaite roundabout all the way through to Dubwath, the A591 is also blocked;we are still cut off from the rest of West Cumbria and still on our own.I didn’t think that one of my main problems today would be sightseers, why don’t people just stopand think, it may be a spectacular sight to see in some ways but in many other ways they just addto my problems. Then I get the questions from people, “can I not go past that road closed sign tosee what’s happened.” Being courteous and polite to people is wearing thin!!Concerns now being raised as to the safety of the bridges in the town and all are closed to bothvehicles and pedestrians, next time (I have no doubt there will be a next time) I need to make my“Bridge closed” signs a little clearer as people just couldn’t understand those two simple words. I have just lost a colleague to a collapsed bridge and I will not put any of my staff in danger, ifmembers of the public want to put there own lives in danger then that’s their choice. I don’t havethe staff to put on every bridge to stop people ignoring the signs and barriers, I need them on othertasks.Every resident now accounted for, that’s a huge weight off my mind, and the work at the incidentroom is really proving its worth, the staff, partner agencies and volunteers are worth their weightin gold.22-30 hours, another 14 hour plus day, some sleep would be good. I have been asked to cancel myrest days and come in to work.

21st November 2009 onwards

08-00 hours, back at work and my thoughts turn to looking at the infrastructure of the area. Whatare the roads and bridges like, can the reception centres cope with the people they have, what canbe done to help people evacuated from their homes and those still in their homes? The questionsand issues are endless. The issue of crime comes to mind, do premises need to be secured, whenwill the fraudsters and bogus builders etc start to arrive? I need to stay one step ahead of this.The coming days see me working between 10 and 15 hours each day.Flood waters starting to slowly recede now, but I now need to start looking at the recovery phase.Prince Charles agrees to switch on the Xmas lights, what a coup for Keswick and a nightmare forme. More planning to do, my rest days are cancelled again. Got to admit though a kiss on the cheekfrom Julia Bradbury puts a huge smile on my face.Worked 13 days straight, now been told by my Inspector not to come in tomorrow and to get somerest. Looking back on the last two weeks has seen tragedy for people in the loss of their homes andpossessions, from a work point of view, there have been many successes.At times like this you see the true community spirit of the town come through with people willingto help in any way they can and to be honest it makes you proud to be a part of that.Back to my normal day job now, at least until the rains fall again.

Sgt Garry ArmstrongSilver Command, Keswick



Knights Bridge Closed

The Fire Chief’s Story

Fireman at Crosthwaite Road

Photo: The Keswick Reminder

Looking towards YHA from Silver Bridge Photo: Mike Gormley

Photo: The Keswick Reminder

View of Conservative Club Car Park, Penrith Road Photo: Lisa Bergerud



When the AGM of Keswick Flood Action Group took place on November 11th last year none of thosepresent knew what the next 10 days would bring. I certainly did not realise what I was letting myselfin for when I set up a group of volunteers, unaffected by flooding, but prepared to help in thebuild up to and aftermath of a flood.November had been wet and on the morning of Wednesday the 18th the river at Crosthwaite Cornerwas at 1.2 m, our lower trigger level. However the Environment Agency phoned to say that it hadpeaked but Thursday was another matter. At this stage I organised radios from the Search andRescue Dogs Association and then contacted volunteers to warn them that I may have to call themout in the night. To their credit not one of them blinked.In the event the rain was a little later than expected. However, at 6 a.m. I found the river at 1.5 m,our red alert level, and Booths’ car park already disappearing under water.On my return home I phoned the EA and then starting calling out volunteers to meet at CrosthwaiteCorner at 7-45 a.m. I left my wife Carol to continue the callout hoping to return later. Pairs ofvolunteers with a radio went round the area calling on the list of people on our “needing help” listbefore offering help to others. We were soon joined by Keswick Lions, who had helped at Elliott Parkon the way. Two sets of volunteers were sent up to Eskin Street and to Castlehead allotments to dealwith surface drainage issues. As I liaised with the Fire Service and Police as well as responding to radio and mobile messages itbecame clear that I was not going to get back home. Fortunately Carol rose to the challenge anddealt with opening the control room and all the other issues with calmness and efficiency.The river continued to rise inexorably at 20 cm per hour and was predicted to overtop at noon. Inthe event it flooded from hospital field by 10-30 a.m. At the emergency services request we thenwent round warning of imminent evacuation. After this I withdrew the volunteers for their ownsafety as they did not have swift water training.My retreat through the floodwaters below the hospital was caught on camera by Channel 4 News;what a worried and bedraggled figure I looked! As I approached home I saw Carol put the radio toher mouth and heard “Graham where are you?” My reply “I’ll wave” was a relief to us both.The phones continued non-stop throughout the day and included a request for rescue and a worrieddaughter who could not find her father.The next morning saw the formation of an ad hoc recovery committee chaired by the Town Mayor.We were very much aware that, given the situation in Cockermouth, Keswick was going to have torely on its own resources in the short term. In the afternoon Flood Action Group, working withKeswick Lions, visited all the flooded properties except Elliott Park offering assistance and leavingcontact details if the property was unoccupied.By Saturday Elliott Park was just pumped out by the Tyne and Wear Fire Brigade but it was too soonto offer assistance. However, Station Street Bridge and Knight’s Bridge were closed in addition toGreta Bridge as a response to the tragic collapse of North Bridge in Workington. KFAG and KeswickLions were mobilised by Police Sergeant Garry Armstrong and manned four bridges for theafternoon only allowing pedestrians to cross the river over Wivell Bridge. It was a very wetafternoon and a third day in the wet was having an impact on tired volunteers.The main task on Sunday was delivering Drisacs to affected properties. To some extent this wasclosing the stable door after the horse had gone though they were effective at soaking up waterfrom corners.On Monday the representatives from the County and Allerdale appeared on the scene and a widerresponse started to develop. However, we were still busy and our phone was non-stop for the nextfew weeks.I am proud to have been part of a coordinated response in which the community worked seamlesslywith the emergency services and am grateful to those many people who supported me.

Graham Thompson Chairman, Keswick Flood Action Group

The Gatekeeper’s StoryOn the evening of Tuesday 17th November 2009 I was studying the Met Office information as partof my role as duty officer for the next two nights and I was aware of the severe weather that wasbeing predicted for Cumbria. At 04-00 hours on Wednesday the 18th this became reality as I wascalled to assess flooding in Shap and experienced some horrendous driving conditions on my waybetween Penrith and Keswick; however on my way home just before daybreak conditionsimproved. Later that day I attended Service HQ in Cockermouth and was briefed by a SeniorManager regarding the severe weather warning that had been received for the next 36 hours. As Idrove home that afternoon from Cockermouth to Keswick it was hard to believe the prediction asthe weather was proverbially “calm” with high cloud, relatively warm temperatures and little wind.The predicted rain looked like it was not coming but nevertheless I called Lynne Jones and GrahamThompson to discuss the potential actions should Keswick become involved in a flood situation. Atabout 20-00 hours the rain came and Lynne began her email update on the behaviour of the Gretaat High Hill, Graham and I liaised and we promised to meet first thing!. I went to bed at midnight with Lynne’s update on the river showing a slow rise.As I lay awake the rain lashed against my window and I slept restlessly awaiting the inevitable callfrom Fire Control. Surprisingly my radio awoke me at 06-00 hours with Radio Cumbria newsinforming me that the severe weather predicted had not arrived yet!! Then at 06-20 hours the phonerang and Fire Control asked me to proceed to Riverside Court to assess flooding. I left the houseand drove the short distance down to the area to meet the worried residents; some I knewpersonally and others I had met before at flooding incidents at their homes. Immediately I could seethat the surface water was not draining and the water level was steadily rising. I mobilised the fireappliances from Keswick and the crews quickly arrived and set their pumps to work in a wellrehearsed plan. Sarah Robinson from the Environment Agency arrived and we discussed thepotential for large scale flooding with Graham via telephone. With the current conditions and thepredicted deterioration an early decision was made to instigate the ”Keswick Emergency Plan” onwhich the ink was hardly dry!By 07-30 hours water levels were increasing and the pumps at Riverside Court were just holdingtheir own and Sarah and I made calls to our respective agencies to give an update. At 08-30 hours

water levels rose rapidly and pumping operations ceased in the Booths area and evacuation andrescues took over. I attended High Hill and met Graham and Mark Hodgson, KMRT leader, and wedecided to meet at the Council offices at 09-00 hours; Mark offering a deputy as he returned to hisHigh Hill home that was now under genuine threat from the rapidly rising Greta. At 09-15 hours wemet and decided our priorities with the evacuation of Ravensfield and other properties in the HighHill, Crosthwaite Road and surrounding area. With Graham coordinating on the ground with wifeCarol in the KFAG nerve centre volunteers from Lions and Rotary swept through the area informing,warning and evacuating residents.Additional Emergency Services crews arrived on scene with Mountain Rescue and Fire & RescueSwift Water Rescue Teams preparing rescue boats.From humble beginnings the Keswick Emergency Plan had been developed into Keswick SilverCommand and at 10-00 hours Sgt Garry Armstrong chaired the first of many Silver briefings. As Itoured the town supervising operations I experienced Keswick stoically being overwhelmed by theforces of nature. With Booths supermarket now flooded and rescues being carried out insurrounding properties the Greta was now very close to overtopping the defences.At around 10-30 hours the water rose beyond the bund in the hospital field and began to floodCrosthwaite Road. Evacuations now progressed to rescues by boats and Keswick Mountain Rescueand Firefighters carried many people to safety. Reception Centres were set up and the CouncilChamber became a hive of coordinating activity as all types of emergencies, queries, questions andproblems were dealt with. As the rain continued to fall, river levels rose and the whole communitycombined to support each other. The day progressed and flooding continued to affect other areas of the town and at 15-00 hours theGreta spilled on to Penrith Road affecting many houses in that area. Reports came in of flooding insurrounding villages of Portinscale and Braithwaite and the main A66 became impassable.Rescuers continued to move residents to safety and further precautionary evacuations took place.I was stood down around 17-00 hours and returned home to find out that our house was to beevacuated!I was proud to lead such a dedicated team of professionals and volunteers who all workedseamlessly together with a common goal to protect life and reduce suffering in exceptionallychallenging situations. It was heartbreaking to witness the devastation and loss that so manypeople suffered but heart-warming to see the efforts that so many went to in order to support therescue operation.

Adrian HolmeGroup Manager, Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service

EMERGENCY SERVICES CONTROL ROOM


Photo: Peter GormleyMountain Rescue at High HillPhoto: The Keswick Reminder

I was not sure what I would do in the event that the Floodwatch volunteers were called out in anemergency. I knew I would have to help my husband as it was my idea to form such a group andtherefore because of me that he became involved with the Keswick Flood Action Group. I expectedto be keeping lists – of who was called out, where they went and which radio they were given.He was out checking the river level and Elliott Park before the Environment Agency phoned veryearly in the morning of 19th November. On his return he phoned the Lions’ contact who soonarrived. They decided to start calling other volunteers out to meet at Crosthwaite corner. Two orthree came to our house and they all set off with radios, leaving me with a radio and in charge ofcalling out more volunteers. Graham said he would be back soon! He wasn’t! By 8-30 a.m. he wason the radio explaining that the Fire Chief had been in touch and wanted the Control Room openedstraight away and would I do it. I nearly panicked as I did not know what to do. However Grahamsaid I needed to phone the town clerk. My list of phone numbers was large and the type so small Icould hardly read it (it made me realise that I needed new glasses!). Fortunately I was able to getthrough to the Town Hall. They had the room ready and only needed to plug in the brand new phoneand ring me back with the number. I then phoned the Fire Chief and told him the room was ready.I thought at that stage that our phone would stop ringing but it didn’t. Our home phone, my mobileand the SARDA radio were non-stop all day. I was still calling out more volunteers and keeping trackof them, taking calls from the Environment Agency and passing messages to Graham and passingon messages to and from the Control Room. My biggest brainwave was putting three old towels on the floor from the front door to the diningroom. It saved the carpet being ruined from muddy footprints from all the volunteers who came thatday and for several days afterwards.The next few days were hectic. I went briefly into Keswick the next morning and then came hometo man the phone again. I called out volunteers to help residents lift carpets and move furniture etc.On the Saturday afternoon Graham and the President of Lions were suddenly commandeered bythe police and asked to man the bridges which were all about to be closed. I was asked to find morevolunteers and send them to the Control Room to be put to work under the direction of the police.By this time it was getting very difficult, most had been out in the rain two days running and theywere getting very tired. However I kept asking and they kept coming. Even my son and his girlfriendwho popped in to see how I was were pressed into service. That day was the most difficult. I takemy hat off to all the volunteers that I pestered, they came and helped willingly when they could,even people that I had not met.The following week I started making a list of flooded properties, I thought someone should do it andno-one else had the time. It grew and grew, many more people had been affected by the flood thanin 2005. It has proved useful to many organisations such as Rotary, the Red Cross and Allerdale.Many people thanked us afterwards for what we were able to do but my overwhelming regret isthat we were not able to do more. I just don’t want it to happen again.

Carol ThompsonGatekeeper’s Assistant

The Gatekeeper’s Assistant’s Story

Overflow

Photo: Fr. Peter SharrockWall leaking at High Hill

CONTROL ROOMCONTROL ROOM


I jumped out of bed with a ‘start’ when the phone rang at 6-30 a.m. I was expecting to accompanya colleague to Gold Command, at Carleton Hall Police Station, and was making the most of my lastprecious moments in bed – I knew it was going to be a long day. As it transpired, however, the dayturned out rather differently from that anticipated. The phone call was from the EnvironmentAgency Flood Warning Duty Officer asking could I go and check the level of the river adjacent to FitzPark before coming to work. The incident room wanted to issue the Flood Warning for the Fitz Parkarea and required visual confirmation of the levels. I stumbled around gathering my thoughts andtried to remember where my safety gear was (rather conveniently at the back of the dark holebeneath the stairs as it happens) – remember - I thought I was going to sit in a warm dry office for12 hours!I left the house and drove down to the Youth Hostel steps at the park. The river was raging and themild rain reminiscent of a summer trip to the Florida Keys where torrential rain cut short a trip toDisneyworld. I rang the office and relayed the river conditions. I was then asked to go down to ElliotPark to check out reports of surface water flooding. Despite the rain and my previous experience ofthe 2005 Keswick Floods, I didn’t anticipate the scene that met me. When I walked through thefootpath from Rawnsley Hall to Elliott Park the Fire and Rescue Service were in attendance withUnited Utilities trying in vain to pump away the combined foul and surface water flooding that wasvisibly rising at an alarming rate. It was still dark, there were people trying to rescue belongings,reluctant to leave their homes in what seemed like the middle of the night.After wading shin deep through the combined surface and foul water I met Adrian Holme from theFire and Rescue Service for the first time that day. Adrian was to be my ‘buddy’ for that day and anessential means of relaying information between both organisations. We both realised that theweather conditions could only get worse, at least for the rest of the day and that we needed to tryand formalise our means of communication. In agreement with our respective managers and ourother professional partners, including the Town Council and the Police, we decided to set up atactical control room based at the Town Hall.Throughout the night Keswick Flood Action Group had performed an essential task of effectivelymanning an informal control room. They were in regular communication with the EnvironmentAgency and the Fire and Rescue Service giving the Statutory Authorities and Emergency Serviceson the ground information to help decision making. The time had come however where rescueoperations needed to step up and it was agreed with the Town Council that this would be organisedfrom the Council Chambers. Throughout the day I visited this room at regular intervals to pass onweather and river level information, to learn what other professional partners were doing and to dryoff and eat much welcome food. Despite the terrible situation in the town, I knew if I visited themeeting room there would always be a welcoming person (probably called Lynda or Linda!)offering sandwiches and a cup of tea.I tried to remain alert, observing and recording all that I could. I knew that I would be asked all sortsof questions such as ”What time did Crosthwaite Road embankment overtop?” or “When did thefloodwater come on to Otley Road?”, but at times it was difficult not to stand and be shocked at thetorrent of water turning Crosthwaite Road into a river or the water coming within a couple of feetof a bridge that had previously been considered by some as set too high in the air! The majority of the day consisted of relaying information, trying to provide timely and appropriateinformation to the emergency services and community groups on the ground. Throughout theevening I was driven by an urge to visit and revisit areas to look at levels and to try and talk topeople either by shouting to them at their first floor windows or helping them locate sandbags tokeep the flood waters at bay.One of my main memories of that day is the unwavering commitment and professionalism of theFire and Rescue and Keswick Mountain Rescue Service. Despite the awful conditions they went outtime and time again to help rescue and, I have no doubt, save the lives of the people caught up inthe flooding. I also have another less serious memory of getting into the passenger seat of thewrong Fire and Service Rescue car. Silver Volvos are standard issue it seems for the Fire and RescueService – and a good humoured fire officer (Dave – I found out afterwards) not batting an eyelid atthe bedraggled looking woman sat in his car tuning in his radio to a different station.I finally returned home just before 11 p.m. that night having been asked to go into the Penrith officefor midday on Friday. On any other morning I would have welcomed a nice long lie in but havingfound it difficult to get to sleep and to stay asleep I eventually got up at 7 a.m. I wandered backdown the town to see the devastation in the daylight and I noticed several other colleagues from

the night before doing the same. My experiences made me reluctant to leave the scene of disastereven when tired and needing rest – I still wanted to help make a difference. I spent the next three days working in the flood incident room helping monitoring river levels andproviding information and statistics to our head office. By Monday the levels had subsidedsufficiently to allow the minimum number of staff to monitor them.I felt a really strong desire to help in some way so I volunteered to be the Environment Agencyrepresentative for the following week at the Keswick Flood Drop In Centre, doing whatever wasrequired: assisting people with Cumbria Community Foundation applications, printing out maps,visiting flooded businesses, pushing babies in pushchairs around the block whilst their parentstalked to housing representatives – anything that could help ease their discomfort for five minutes.An enduring memory of that period was a man whose house had flooded and all he had were theclothes he stood in, a spare pair of trousers and his dog, ‘Even the dog’s bed just floated out of thedoor’ he said.Despite these sad memories, my remaining impression of the day was the immense determinationwithin the Keswick Community to do whatever was needed during the floods. It is a credit to theFlood Action Group, the Town Council and all the Professional and Emergency Services that theirrespective contributions have been acknowledged through the Cumbria Fire Service awards and Iam very proud to have been a part of that community response.

Sarah RobinsonEnvironment Agency

Sarah Robinson -EA Liaison Officer

Photo: The Keswick ReminderGreta Bridge from Labour Club

CONTROL ROOM CONTROL ROOM


Background

In November 2009, as it was in January 2005, the main flooding problems in Keswick were causedby the River Greta overflowing. However, raised river water levels also contributed to surface waterflooding by causing drainage systems to fail due their outflows into the river becoming submergedand blocked. Hence properties flooded by the river at the western end of Penrith Road were alreadybeing inundated by surface water long before the river overtopped its banks. Further east along the Penrith Road, near the Twa Dogs, there is much greater potential for morefrequent but less serious flooding events. The river has nothing to do with this flooding. Here intimes of heavy rainfall the risk comes from surface water pouring down the road as a result of urbanexpansion, the conversion of gardens into hard standing areas for cars, an outdated drainagesystem, inadequate culverts, poorly maintained water courses and the Council’s failure to operatea proper roadside gully sump cleaning programme. The problems are exacerbated when fallenleaves are just left to clog up grates over roadside drains. Many of these deficiencies werewitnessed at a site visit on the day before the floods attended by staff from the EnvironmentAgency, Cumbria County Council, Allerdale District Council and Capita Symonds.Since we were flooded in 1999, my wife and I along with our neighbours have been much moreproactive in taking steps to reduce the risk to our homes by identifying the main sources of thefloodwater (mainly, but certainly not inclusively, four local culverts) and also identifyingmalfunctioning roadside drains that should help surface water to escape off the road. Problems arereported to the Council, with regrettably a limited amount of success. The appointment of aHighways Steward has meant that the culverts are now being properly maintained. However, intimes of heavy rainfall these are still unable to function properly without frequent attention, whichcannot be provided by the steward, as he is responsible for a large area of which Keswick is just apart. When bad weather is forecast, I check and, if necessary, clear the culverts myself as I did onseveral days prior to the floods - including on Wednesday 18th November. I also checked that aculvert beside the A66 near the viaduct was clear, as it causes the by-pass to flood if its screen getsblocked. In the past this has resulted in motor accidents.There are just over 150 roadside drains, many of whose sumps were filled with debris long before19th November, that have an effect upon the amount of water that flows down the road towards theTwa Dogs area of Penrith Road – that is a lot of gully grates to clear, when bad weather is forecast.I also removed from roads and gutters loads of soggy leaves, which would otherwise have endedup blocking the grates.

Events on the day of the floods:

On the morning of 19th November I was woken by a telephone call from a lady, who lives beside aculvert up Chestnut Hill, informing me that the culvert was about to overflow and that loads of waterwas pouring down the road - this proved not to be an overstatement. Water was cascading downthe road from way up beyond the culvert – in fact right up to the brow of the hill near Moor Farm.Water from a multitude of sources was also cascading down Fieldside and Eleventrees.

To prevent even more water getting onto the roads, I was able to keep the screens clear on three ofthe culverts so that they did not overflow. I knew that the culvert up Fieldside would be a lost causeand not worth wasting time on as it is totally inadequate to deal with that amount of water. I lateralso unblocked the culvert beside the A66, which was already flooding the road. My wife and I along with our neighbours lifted grates over drains to help water escape off the roads.However, the greatest success of the day was provided by the staff of Travis Perkins. They built abarrier out of dumper bags and ordinary bags filled with builders sand, which deflected water offPenrith Road into Townsfield via a pipe put through the wall by Cumbria Highways after a previousflooding event. As a result of this barrier, there was no damage to any of our properties and in factthere was much less water flowing down the road towards our homes than there would be duringa normal heavy downpour of rain.

Drains! Aftermath

Over the days following 19th November, gully cleaning vehicles were seen working all overKeswick. It is not good enough that this happens after the event when heavy rainfall is quite normalat that time of year and should be prepared for. The Council had been repeatedly informed formonths that there were a large number of gullies requiring attention.The Council has agreed that it will increase the size of the hole through the wall at Townsfield andthe manager of Travis Perkins has given me his personal telephone number in case we needassistance in future.

Rod Donington-SmithKeswick Flood Action Group

Photo: Rod Donington-SmithTravis Perkins bags acting as a barrier on Penrith Road



The Town Clerk’s StoryWhat are my memories of the floods? Well it certainly was the most dramatic “event” during myterm of office as Mayor of Keswick. The rain fell relentlessly through the night and into the earlyhours of Thursday. By the time we drove to work around 7-30 a.m. the fields along the A66 nearPortinscale and High Hill were disappearing as the waters rose over the land and the fencepostswere vanishing at an alarming rate. By St Herbert’s Centre the river was flowing fast and furious andthe water was nearly breaching the wall. With a rising sense of concern I headed to the CouncilChamber to assess the situation. We had been working on an emergency plan for just such anoccasion, but the flood arrived before its conclusion. It became very much a learning curve on thehoof!The Council Chamber became the Control Centre with a phone (which fortunately had just beeninstalled) manned by Catherine and Lynda our Clerk from the office. The emergency services teamsfilled the room and the teamwork and commitment were exemplary. Without exception the teamsworked as one. The walls soon became covered with actions, maps, important lists, phonenumbers, evacuated areas, reception centres all which indicated that in fact we had a plan. Peoplewere being moved to safety by the main emergency services and reinforced by Keswick FloodAction Group (KFAG), Rotary and Lions Clubs all putting their safety second to the wellbeing of theresidents. We were astounded by how good the overall picture looked by directing everyone fromone central point and the spirit of co-operation was tremendous. Every hour on the hour, a briefingwas held to get an update on the position of all the services. Their local knowledge was invaluableand later I was to become the Chairman of our daily meetings and debrief.

The Mayor’s Story

Photo: The Keswick ReminderRecovery Meeting

I felt honoured by the support I had during this period and felt a sense of community second to none. There were several problems we had to solve and lessons to learn especially withcommunications. The radios and mobile phones did not work well and the lack of guidance fromCounty and Allerdale (who were cut off from us) meant we felt at times that we were very much onour own. A reception centre was set up in the hallway outside the chamber and hot drinks andsandwiches were provided to the dripping rescuers. I remember one Lion of good years not wantingto go home after many hours of service and freezing cold such was his commitment. Ann and Ivisited all the reception centres in the afternoon and we were impressed with the care they werereceiving and considering they had been forced from their homes, some by boat, some wadingPhoto: The Keswick Reminder

The phone call came at about 8-30 a.m. on 19th November – ‘we need to open the Control Room atthe Council offices’. I was just leaving home so phoned my colleague, Catherine, to set it up. By thetime I arrived things were in full swing.I had to think twice about where to park my car as my normal parking place wasn’t far from theriverside so I moved to higher ground. When I got in, the Council Chamber was a hive of activity –the walls were covered with pieces of paper containing names and phone numbers, a number ofuniformed and un-uniformed personnel were talking on radio sets and mobile phones and therecently installed telephone line was ringing constantly – how everyone knew the number stillremains a mystery to me – as people asked for sandbags and news of relatives and which roadswere closed.The Town Hall staff – myself, Catherine Howe and Linda Furniss - were rapidly given instructions bySgt Garry Armstrong who was co-ordinating action and regular briefings. Sarah Robinson of theEnvironment Agency came in at intervals looking like a drowned elf to update us on the rainforecast. Adrian Holme of Cumbria Fire and Rescue, and the leader of Keswick Mountain RescueTeam took control of the evacuation procedure aided by a number of good looking ‘boat men’.A succession of officials and volunteers came and went over the next 24 hours, the CouncilChamber carpet getting wetter and wetter. Sustenance was required and duly obtained althoughmost of the shops in town had by now closed their doors. A couple of forays by myself and LindaFurniss resulted in a good supply of sandwiches etc from the Keswick Lodge Hotel which wererapidly consumed by the various rescue personnel and volunteers.By now the roads into town from the west were under water and some people could not get home.The media had arrived and were busy interviewing the Town Mayor, who, with the Mayoress,stayed close by for the next few days to support the operation. I stayed in the Council Chamber untilabout midnight and then managed to get a few hours sleep and a shower at a local hotel beforereturning at 6 a.m. Even more calls came in on Friday – Sally Bickerdyke volunteered to man ouroffice so that Catherine and I could concentrate our efforts in the Control Room as the CouncilChamber had by now very definitely become. She logged all calls taken on the Town Councilnumber and we tried to resolve queries and issues as best we could.By late Friday afternoon I was able to leave the office for my first walk around the town and washorrified to see the flood damage – the riverside paths in Fitz Park had been ripped up and it lookedlike an earthquake had hit. Booths Supermarket was in the midst of a great lake with a Tesco vanmarooned in the centre. Hope Park was like a paddling pool. The enormity of it all dawned on meas I contemplated the endless form filling, insurance claiming and reinstatement work which wouldhave to be carried out. However, this was nothing compared with the dreadful news aboutPC Barker who had been killed at Workington as a result of a bridge collapsing. How lucky we werein Keswick not to have any loss of life.

Lynda WalkerTown Clerk

Riverside path in Fitz Park

CONTROL ROOMCONTROL ROOM


through water, it was real Dunkirk spirit! So the real measure of our success was that everyone wasevacuated from their threatened property without as much as a sprained ankle (a credit to theservices and volunteers).We left the Control room at approx 10 p.m. and drove home only to find our route blocked and atPortinscale road end we saw a caravan floating in the road with the car attached not visible abovethe water line, such was the scale of the disaster. We phoned a friend and thanks to George at Bar26 we had a room for the night but don’t remember sleeping much if at all. On Friday morning wewere back at 8 a.m. to pick up the thread with the rest of the team and face the press. For the following week briefings were held twice a day while a support system was put in place tohelp those affected. Again the volunteers and KFAG beavered away giving sound advice andpractical help. The Archbishop of York dropped in on one of our meetings and immediately put usat ease and showed great genuine concern and he was a good listener. It was a huge boost tomorale.On the following Friday we were to switch on our Christmas lights but we felt it inappropriate to beflippant. Linda Furniss of our Keswick Tourist Association got hard at work and Julia Bradbury andH.R.H. Prince Charles arrived the following Friday and in grandiose style the lights were switchedon. It marked the moment when we had beaten the floods, community spirit was high and Keswickwas back to normal and in business. For a week in November 2009 the Council Chamber hadbecome our second home and it would be inappropriate not to say a very big THANK YOU to allwho helped out and gave time and money to the flooded residents of Keswick.

Andrew Lysser Mayor of Keswick

Photo: Chris FirthSwitching on the Christmas Lights

An email landed in my inbox – volunteers required to help with Keswick’s Emergency Plan – okay, I thought, as Tourism Officer I surely could offer help in an emergency?Little did I know that just two meetings later I would be in the middle of a flood emergency, gettingno sleep for what seemed like days and shaking hands with Royalty.I dropped my son off at Keswick School on my way to work, noticing that Newlands Beck had burstits banks and the fields either side of the A66 were flooding quite badly. I vaguely thought thatperhaps he should not go to school that day, but as you do, dropped him off anyway (KeswickSchool closed shortly afterwards). First into the Town Council was Catherine – we decided in twominutes to ‘open’ the Emergency Control Room – the Council Chambers. But what ‘open’ meant weweren’t quite sure. Pens, paper, phone, a town map were gathered and then we hovered, unsure ofwhat to do. But within an alarmingly short time, the police and fire service had arrived, togetherwith people from various services around town and we certainly did have an emergency on ourhands.As the Police and Fire Service took charge of the situation, we quickly realised things were veryserious. I, along with Lynda and Catherine from Town Council, were given the tasks of checkingevery 20 minutes with the three evacuation centres that had been set up to count how many peoplewere arriving, whether food, drink, blankets were needed and to try and get whatever wasnecessary over. We also had to get urgent messages out about people who needed rescuing – it wasquite unnerving as I have never been trained to deal with a life threatening event, nor been in anysuch emergency before. Our one landline had to be kept open as the point of contact so wecommandeered any mobile phone that we could. Towns outside of Keswick were contacted for helpwith food and clothing and routes were sorted out to get these in to the evacuation centres. Howamazingly wonderful these contacts were – nothing was too much trouble. Contacts were made foralternative evacuation centres, the Scout Hut raided for blankets etc.Every hour the people in charge of each service had to come back to the Emergency Control Roomto report on the situation. This was the time that we in the Control Room would realise what washappening. We were kept so busy doing everything that was asked of us – adrenaline really kicks inand you can act very quickly – but as we were inside we didn’t see any flooding so it was verysurreal.Getting food, drink, towels and soap for the services working out in the floods became the nextpriority. Unfortunately most of the places in town had shut down and Lynda and I were at one pointrunning desperately through town with the rain sheeting down searching for somewhere thatwould help us. Fortunately Keswick Lodge came up trumps and supplied all we needed (twice) andpromised to give us a bed for the night as well. Tired and hungry firemen came, sat on the corridors,ate and drank, and left for the next rescues, leaving pools of water on the floor, they were so wet.

The Tourism Association’s Story

Linda Furniss and Julia Bradbury Photo: Chris Firth



The Mountain Rescue Boat Men came next – absolutely looking very heroic – and they told a littleof the situation, about the strong river current which was running down High Hill, about differentrescues and things that were happening.We were next told that Cockermouth was flooding, and the rescue services were diverted to supportthem. All the Keswick people who had needed help had been helped, we had accounted foreveryone, and there was not so much as a sprained ankle.No sleep that night, no makeup to put on next morning, and no toothbrush to freshen up. The TVcompanies descended on us, and my office was taken over by them using my computer to ‘stream’the news down to newsrooms. People were being located in evacuation centres, relatives informed,and a database of flooded properties started being collated. Recovery rather than a rescue situationstarted.Over the next couple of days, the Emergency Control Team regularly met for progress meetings. I was put in charge of Communication. We decided that the Christmas Lights switch on and theFood Fayre, which had been due to take place the day after the floods, should be re-arranged forthe following Friday. But who to lift the town’s spirits and bring us all together?Julia Bradbury had filmed extensively in Keswick whilst making her Walking with Wainwrightseries. She loved Keswick and we loved her. I asked the question – would she switch on the lights?‘Too busy’, her agent said. ‘I’ll be there’, she said. We arranged a tour for her to see the SoupKitchen, the remains of Braithwaite Bridge which had been swept away, Middle Ruddings Hotel whohad put up 40 stranded motorists, to meet all the people who had been involved in the EmergencyControl Room and then to switch on the lights. Fantastic.The phone in Town Council rang – ‘it’s Clarence House, would you like Prince Charles to switch onthe Christmas Lights?’ An excited Catherine ran up the stairs to let me know. Lots of whooping andcheering, then a realisation that we already had someone to switch on the lights. Regretfully, I thanked Clarence House for their offer, but advised that our light switch was already taken.Unless…… perhaps H.R.H. would consider a joint switch-on? Julia was of course honoured (sheshrieked) to share the switch-on and Clarence House agreed. A sleepless night followed – am I theonly person to have turned down Prince Charles?The phone never stopped when the news got out; journalists, TV companies, safety issues,decorating the Moot Hall railings, making sure the lights actually did come on on cue; anotheradrenaline drive and more sleepless nights.And in the midst of our water damaged houses, paths, bridges, lives, for a brief hour the wholetown turned out in unison to see two people give their time and support for us in our time of need.And the Christmas Lights came on – on time.

Linda FurnissKeswick Tourism Association

The Team were contacted at 9-30 a.m. on Thursday morning to give assistance where and whenrequired. Initially the Team leader and a deputy Team leader went to the ‘Silver Command’ centrewhich, as part of the emergency plan, had been set up in the Council Chambers.As the morning progressed our team member was receiving tasks at Silver Command and relayingthem to our HQ at Lakeside car park.The Team were tasked with various jobs such as helping with the evacuation of Ravensfield,numerous evacuations from Crosthwaite Gardens, Glebe Close, High Hill, Limepots, AshtreeAvenue, St Kentigerns Close and Crosthwaite Road. Many of these evacuations were only possiblewith the use of inflatable boats; both the team’s boat and also working closely with the Fire RescueService and their boat. Once safely out of the flood water residents were taken to the variousevacuation centres that had been set up across town.During the course of the morning National Parks staff arrived at our HQ with three further 4x4vehicles and offered their help – which was gratefully received and they were soon put to work inmeeting the rescue boats – the rendezvous point changing as the flood water got deeper on HighHill.It quickly became apparent that we were going to need additional help. Normally we would call onCockermouth MRT who we have worked closely with many times in the past, but obviously theyhad their own problems. A call was made to ‘Gold Command’ at Carlton Hall, Penrith and teamswere mobilised to Keswick from Kirkby Stephen, Teesdale and Swaledale. An RAF Sea King wasalso tasked to search some fields near Crosthwaite Church.These additional teams were given jobs in and around Keswick, but as things started to becomequieter in Keswick some were re-tasked to Cockermouth.News then came through of the bridge collapse in Workington and of the missing Police Officer.Personnel were requested and sent to Workington to help in the search.Keswick Team finally closed its base late on Saturday afternoon after receiving various ‘non- urgent’requests from ‘Silver Command’. Further assistance was again sent to Cockermouth on Monday

between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. to be on call at Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Base. All in all there wasapproximately 40 hours of continuous cover and, at its height, 60 personnel were operating fromKeswick Mountains Rescue HQ.Keswick Team feel that all the agencies worked extremely well together and would like to thank andapplaud:- The Fire and Rescue Service, The National Park, Teesdale, Swaledale and Kirkby StephenRescue Teams, The RAF, ‘Silver Command’, and by no means least Brysons Ltd for all the pies andcakes!

Simon HodgsonKeswick Mountain Rescue Team

Story from the Mountain Rescue

CONTROL ROOM VOLUNTARY SECTOR RESPONSE


19th November 2009 can hardly be described as a typical day, but by the end of it Keswick Lionshad come together to demonstrate what being a Lion is all about. On the 18th November 2009, following several days of torrential rain, an evening phone call fromKeswick Flood Action Group alerted everyone to the possibility of localised flooding. By thefollowing morning it was evident flooding would take place on a large scale and the emergencyplan was activated.I was wakened by our Keswick Lions District Disaster Liaison officer Rob Holloway to say that hewas round at Graham Thompson’s (Keswick Flood Action Group) house. The river was in greatdanger of flooding and spilling over mainly at High Hill and he asked if I could put a “snowball” inaction to alert as many Lions as possible to be on standby.We were asked to meet at the Council Chambers as the situation was quickly deteriorating. We metup and working closely with the emergency services were all given our tasks to do. Each group wasgiven a radio to assist with communications. I joined six Lions to go down to High Hill/ Crosthwaitearea, knock on doors and to offer any help that we could to the residents. Sandbags were beingstored at Lakeland Stonecraft and myself and Rob helped distribute them to the various houses.A request was made for my group to attend to a gentleman who was concerned about his mobilityscooter and the flood water. A possible solution was to place the scooter on the top of the wheeliebin in the hope that it would prevent the water reaching it. Little did we anticipate that the force ofthe coming water would submerge the wheelie bin itself.By 11 a.m. the situation was looking pretty grim and we were kindly offered coffee at High HillGarage to warm us up. A message came through on our radio, could we attend Elliott Park to seeif there was anything we could do. Devastation was apparent as we turned the corner. Sewage andeffluent covered the area as the Pumping Station didn’t appear to be coping with the deluge ofwater. Booths car park was under water and Wesley House residents were being pumped out. We offeredhelp where we could and then made our way back to the Council Chambers to report our progress.By lunch time a large part of Keswick and surrounding areas were underwater. The EmergencyServices requested Lions to stand down from the immediate flooding area, but soon we were askedto assist with the evacuation of residents at the Millfield Residential Home on Penrith Road. On ourway along Penrith Road we were able to help an elderly person in her home by placing sand bagsfrom her outhouse in front of her front door. As we continued on our way, we came across a chapwho was frantically ”sweeping” water away from his home in an attempt to prevent water enteringhis property. Lions quickly came to his rescue successfully lifting drain covers and unblocking thedrain to divert the water. On our arrival at Millfield we assisted the residents to evacuate toNether Place and enjoyed a well earned cup of coffee before we stood down as requested for theday, getting ready for what tomorrow would bring.In the aftermath of the flood Lions Club International responded immediately to the local disasterby offering funds to Keswick Lions to help those affected. At a local level Keswick Lions wanted localpeople to know that their thoughts were with the flood victims of Keswick. In the past Keswick andthe surrounding community had always supported Keswick Lions, and club members wanted tosupport anyone who had been affected by the recent flooding in any way that they could by offeringimmediate practical and financial help. A fund was established for this purpose to which localpeople and organisations quickly contributed, swelling the amount to a considerable sum. Thismoney was utilised immediately to help those in need.

Martin Ousby President of Keswick Lions (2009 - 2010)

A Lion’s Story

Keswick Mountain Rescue Ambulance Photo: Babs H

Greta breaks it’s banks at Penrith Road Photo: Graham Stephenson

Hope Park Photo: Peter Brumwell

VOLUNTARY SECTOR RESPONSE VOLUNTARY SECTOR RESPONSE


Keswick Rotary played its part in helping during and after the flood. Many members were enlistedwith KFAG after the 2005 flood. We were put on standby on the evening of Wednesday 18th becausethe river was rising and we might be called in the night. The call came early on Thursday morning

and we met up with KFAG, the Lions and others at Crosthwaite corner at 7-45 a.m. We divided intotwo groups - Rotary taking Crosthwaite Road, the Lions High Hill. We went door to door helping liftpossessions upstairs and tried to reassure the people. Some of us had radios to keep in touch withKFAG and go to where help was needed. I was called to Eskin St, Penrith Rd, and Castlehead Close.I called in at the Town Hall on my return and pleaded for sandbags in the control room where theChief Fire Officer was in charge with the Police etc.- there were no sand bags! I waded back to ourrendezvous at Crosthwaite corner at about noon, the river was almost at the top of the wall and tomy concern, as a retired engineer, saw the water coming through the wall. We agreed it was timefor us to withdraw and leave it to the professionals, Police, Fire and Mountain Rescue.By chance as one of our members was on his way home, near the hospital, he came across a TVvan; he gave a brief interview and said Rotary were setting up a Flood Appeal. On returning homehe realised what he had said and immediately took the initiative to set up a website; later in the dayit became the Keswick and Cockermouth Flood Appeal.I returned, after some food, to Penrith Road in the afternoon to see the river still rising and it wasnow flooding that road. Whilst having my tea tired out a phone call came to help at the ConventionCentre with evacuees. Fortunately for me, we had a good response from our members and theyhelped through the night. On my way home at 8 p.m. the flood water was beginning to find its wayup Greta Street.On Friday we began to help people in flooded houses with removal of wet carpets and ruinedfurniture and other goods. We assembled at Crosthwaite corner again. The Lions taking High Hilland we took Crosthwaite Road. We went door to door and where help was required two or three ofour group would do what was required as the others moved on. The main thing we were able to dowas to help with removal of damaged goods to outside the houses. My tools usually consisted of aclaw hammer, small crowbar and a Stanley knife. These were to remove carpets by cutting them upinto manageable strips as they were so heavy when wet. This work continued for several days asrequests for help came in. On Friday 20th at 11 a.m. I attended a meeting in the town hall called by the Mayor. We were brieflyaddressed by the Chief Police Officer who advised us that following the tragedy in Workington andthe devastation of Cockermouth he was moving all except two officers to Cockermouth and wasclosing all bridges in the county pending inspection. This decision to close all bridges meant thatour local Police Sergeant had to call for our help with the Lions to stop cars and pedestrians fromcrossing bridges in Keswick until barriers were erected later in the day of Saturday 21st November.

I chaired the Rotary Community Committee to decide how we should distribute the incoming fundsto help the flood victims. Some £180,000 was raised (£135,000 from Rotary Clubs) which we dividedwith Cockermouth Club. We gave £200 each to 160 flooded houses in Keswick in December. We gave £10,000 to Workington Rotary who operated a Furniture Warehouse with Impact Housing.The remaining funds £47,000 was distributed in March to all local sports clubs and the parks whoall suffered badly in the flood. They had all suffered in 2005. We could not have done this withoutthe initiative and local knowledge of our members of people and places.I attended many meetings with the Mayor, County Council, Allerdale, Churches Together, Lions,Red Cross, KFAG, Tourism Association, Housing Associations and Flood Victims often attending.Once we were graced by the attendance of the Archbishop of York. We were guided by Flood Forumand had reviews with Police and Fire chiefs. These meetings continued in various forms for weeksand there were also regular meetings with the people at the flood centre with the County and theRed Cross. I attended meetings with other Rotary Clubs and the Cumbria Community Foundation.The pleasure almost 6 months on from the flood is to see people going back to their homes andsports facilities opening now back in use.

Bob BurlingtonKeswick Rotary

A Rotarian’s StoryOn the evening before the floods, Wednesday 18th November 2009 I was contacted by KeswickFlood Action Group letting me know that there was a high risk of flooding and, as a volunteer, I might be called out. The following morning I was asked to get to St. Herbert’s Centre to meet upwith the other volunteers. As we waited there, issuing advice, watching the water rise and helpingwhere we could, a call came in to say that there was a problem at the allotments behind CastleheadClose. As an allotment holder I volunteered to investigate. As I went towards the town the water was high up the retaining wall and flowing very fast,aggressively fast. I decided that it would be appropriate to set about cancelling the Rotary Lunchscheduled for 12-30 p.m. that day. I called in to the Skiddaw Hotel and met with the Manager. Hetold me that people had been evacuated into the hotel and it would be sensible from their point ofview to cancel the lunch as they were very busy with the evacuees. I spoke to our President whoagreed with the proposal to cancel.Continuing through the town I went via Penrith Road where the water was just starting to lap overthe wall just upstream of the Wivell Bridge. As I crossed Ambleside Road there was some minorflooding but the drains seemed to be coping. The allotments are bounded east and west by two becks which flow down from Castlehead. The oneon the west side where the entrance to the plots is was running over the culvert and threatening toenter the flats on the west side of this beck should the water get much higher. On entering the siteit looked more like a paddy field than a set of allotments. Water was pouring down from the higherground to the south, both becks were full but not seriously overflowing other than where the westone entered the culvert. The problem seemed to be simply the volume of rain falling. The groundwas sodden/flooded, raised beds were full of water and water was heading north towards thehouses immediately behind Ambleside Road.My allotment is immediately south of one of these houses and as I had a lot of black polythenesheeting down to kill off weeds immediately south of this house’s hedge water was flowing acrossthe film and into the back yard of the house. The drains were coping with the water but if they wereto block up then there would be a problem. It is a moot point whether the polythene was actuallymaking much difference as the ground underneath was saturated. However, it was not worth takingthe chance and by the time I got there work had already begun removing the problem of thesheeting, As the sheeting was removed water continued to run into the back yard and efforts weremade to block the passage of the water and to divert it elsewhere. The difficulty with this was thatit was going to have the same effect on the neighbouring house. The only hope was that the drainscontinued to work satisfactorily. The drain covers had been lifted to maximise the flow.At this point I left leaving instructions that I was to be contacted if the drains showed any signs ofblocking up.I had to go to Briar Rigg after this and tried to take a shortcut across the corner of the bowling green.However, water was now coming over the wall at Penrith Road and although it was possible to getacross the Wivell Bridge the route through the park was too treacherous and I turned back to takethe normal Station Road/Brundholme Road route. Having completed my work at Briar Rigg I triedto get down Crosthwaite Road to my daughter’s house where I had been earlier in the morning.I could not make it down this road.I managed to pick my way back through Fitz Park onto Station Road and back through the town tomy nice warm home in Stanger Street.I am sure my morning was as commonplace as many others and makes a fairly boring read. Thepoint I would like to make is that most of us in Keswick could return to our nice warm homes havingdone a little bit to help. However, for those immediately affected by the flood the problems have stillnot gone away and after five months many of them are not in their own nice warm homes. We whowere not directly affected can only admire the resilience and stoicism of those who were and stillare affected by what for most of us was no more than an unusually wet day.

Vic WilsonKeswick Flood Action Group volunteer

A Floodwatch Volunteer’s Story



The Bowling Green immersed in water Photo: Peter Brumwell

Photo: Becx CarterTennis Courts immersed in water

Stood looking at the rising flood waters on Crosthwaite Road at Thursday lunchtime on 19th

November 2009, the despair was overwhelming for all our local residents affected by flooding forthe second time in less than five years. I, like many others, had a feeling of helplessness as to whatcould be done to help there and then – people had all been evacuated, and plans were already beingput into action to arrange emergency centres and overnight accommodation. It was clear, even atthis early stage, that the consequences of this flood would be far worse than that of January 2005.At this point, I noticed Border TV news doing a report on the flooding from their outside broadcastunit. In a moment of what some would class as utter lunacy, I went up to the presenter andsaid;- “I’m from Keswick Rotary Club and we have just launched an appeal to raise funds for thoseaffected by this flood. Can we do an interview?”After a little persuasion, and a few minutes of huddled discussions between the reporter, director,and their “Mission Control” it was agreed, and I was recorded saying that we (Keswick Rotary Club)had launched an appeal, and that people could donate through our website,www.keswickrotary.org.uk. Only a couple of problems – “We” was in fact “Me”, and an appealdidn’t actually exist at this stage, and certainly not on our website.By now it was 2 p.m., with a strong possibility that our appeal would be broadcast on the eveningnews in under four hours time. A hurried journey home and I gave our Rotary Club President(Pat Stokes) and treasurer (Colin Grant) the good news that we had an appeal, and then quickly setabout changing our club website to show details of this and how to donate by cheque. At 3 p.m.

I sent out a press release, and amazingly, by 4-30 p.m., the details had been published and printedin that weeks edition of the Keswick Reminder, to whom we remain extremely grateful for theirenormous and continued support.Realising the need for people to be able to donate quickly and simply, by 5 p.m. we had set uppayment methods for debit and credit cards through PayPal and added that to our website. Whilstthe TV interview was never broadcast, various newspapers publicised the appeal, and RadioCumbria arranged an interview with me for 8 a.m. the following morning.Then of course, the flood spread to Cockermouth and beyond, leaving behind the devastating trailof destruction we are now all too familiar with. At around 7 a.m. on the Friday 20th November RadioCumbria rang to ask if our appeal was just Keswick, or if it also included Cockermouth. Several quickphone calls later with our Rotary colleagues at Cockermouth, and a joint appeal was agreed, whichI announced at just after 8 a.m. on Radio Cumbria. Donations started arriving literally within minutes of the broadcast, and as news of our appealspread, more and more donations came in. Rotary clubs throughout the country were also madeaware of our appeal, and to date over 350 clubs have either carried out specific fund raisingactivities on our behalf, or made donations to the appeal from their individual club disaster andemergency charity reserves.Support to the Cockermouth & Keswick Rotary Flood Appeal has been overwhelming, and we aretruly humbled by the generosity and good wishes we have received. From this joint appeal alone,to date almost £170k has been raised, and of this over £135k has been given through Rotary Clubsthroughout the UK, including also a number of donations from overseas clubs.With different problems in both towns, at a very early stage it was decided that the money donatedto the joint Cockermouth and Keswick Rotary Flood Appeal would be split equally between the twoRotary Clubs. Both clubs also received separate donations specific to each town, meaning that thetotal funds to be distributed amounted to £93k for Keswick, and £160k for Cockermouth.In Keswick, prior to Christmas, £200 was paid to each householder whose ground flood had beenflooded. This amounted to around £35K (some householders declined the payment so it could bedistributed elsewhere). £10k was also paid to support the supply of goods to Keswick householdsthrough the Impact warehouse, set up by our colleagues at Workington Rotary Club. With the helpof some additional donations specifically for use in the Keswick community, some £47k wasdistributed in varying amounts to the Bowling Club, Cricket Club, Football Club, Rugby Club,Mountain Rescue, Parks Trustees, and Keswick Flood Action Group.In Cockermouth, to date, £68k has been paid to householders, £5k to the Impact warehouse, £6k toMountain Rescue, £1k to the Children's Library, and £20k to other groups and societies. With thehelp of many additional donations specifically for distribution by the Cockermouth Rotary Club,there are plans to distribute further substantial amounts to individuals, groups, and societies in thetown. The overall recovery in Cockermouth is more complex than in Keswick, and as such it was feltprudent to hold back some of the fund for use here as further needs become more evident.The generosity of over 500 members of the general public, and additionally over 350 Rotary Clubswho raised money for this appeal, has meant in some small ways we have been able to make a real

A Fundraiser’s Story



difference in helping the folk of Cockermouth and Keswick get back "on their feet." Every pennygiven will be distributed, with all the administration costs of collecting and distributing the fund metin full by individual Rotarians and businesses.Once again, on behalf of everyone affected by the flooding in November 2009, thank you for thehelp and generosity of everyone who gave to our appeal.

Graham SimonsFlood Appeal Coordinator, Rotary Club of KeswickOn behalf of Cockermouth & Keswick Rotary Clubs

Kitchen ruined Photo: Lynne Jones

Elliott Park Boat Rescue Photo: Terry Dixon

Tesco Van stranded at Tithebarn Street junction Photo: Peter BrumwellRugby Club Photo: The Keswick Reminder



I was woken up at 6-30 a.m. with news from a neighbour that water was backing up from the drains,and that a newly formed lake was steadily growing outside our flats.I'm told that when the surface water system is full of water (the water that comes off roads etc.) thatit overflows into the sewage system. When that gets to bursting point, United Utilities havepermission from the Environment Agency to dump the excess into the River Greta. But when theriver is higher than the outlet pipe from the sewage overflow, the water can't get away and thediluted sewage water starts backing up. We could clearly see water coming up through a manhole, complete with pieces of toilet paper. Thepump provided by United Utilities for such emergency situations wasn't running.I heard that someone had called United Utilities and, with water just a few inches below their doorstep, they'd been told that “according to the computer system” they were not at risk of flooding. Ittook a lot of talking to convince the person at the other end of the line that there really was a seriousproblem. It took two hours for someone to arrive to start the pump, and I believe the person hadto come from Cockermouth, a town some distance from Keswick. One of the local residents told methat they'd tried to get a key for the pump held in Keswick, but United Utilities had resisted the idea,even refusing to leave a key with the Fire Brigade. At some point someone from United Utilitiesarrived and got their pump working. Sometime later the pump failed. The Fire Brigade were called.But the sewage system was pushing water into our lake faster than they could pump it over theflood defence barrier and into the river.Inch by inch the water rose. At around 10-30 a.m. my block of flats had become an island. The emergency services suggestedthat we leave, and we were evacuated by boat just as the flood water started covering my carpet.The next day I went back to Elliott Park, but couldn't get anywhere close to it as the lake was stillstretching from Booths supermarket across two car parks to the flats. It took a powerful Fire Brigadepump from the Gateshead area, working solidly for 8 hours, to pump our lake over the flooddefences into the River Greta.I could only get into my flat the day after that, 2 days after being flooded. By that time my flat hadbeen sitting in up to 2ft 6in of water for 30 hours.The “crisis” was over, but challenges of another sort were just starting - sorting possessions thatcould be saved from those that couldn't - disinfecting/washing/drying those items I attempted tokeep - dealing with insurance companies, loss adjusters, and builders - finding accommodation formyself (I've slept in 9 different places since the flood) - finding storage space for my things, someof which were wet - surviving without easy access to a phone or the internet for months (havingmoved to Keswick only 5 months before the flood, most of my friends live a long way away) - doingresearch and making choices about paint, tiles, appliances, doors, door handles, carpets, kitchenunits, all without being able to match one against the other as they all had to be ordered at the sametime - etc. etc. etc.For months my whole life seems to have revolved around my flat and the past, present and futureflooding situation. I have turned into a flood-and-renovation bore. So if you see me sitting in a café,catching my breath, beware... If you ask me how I'm doing, I might just tell you!

Mary GillespieElliott Park

An Elliott Park Resident’s StoryIt was first thing in the morning that we heard of the impending problem with the water rising inthe river just across the road from our Care Home. Staff began to be busy gathering up our readypacked overnight bags, and the supervisor on duty gathered our medication and their supportingpaperwork.Extra staff were called in from home to help with the evacuation of 22 people, an ambulance wascalled to take the most needy to Penrith Hospital, the rest of us went by taxi firm mini-buses. Wewere spread out round various Cumbria Care Homes in the County and that was the last we haveseen of some of our friends and neighbours.It was strange for us all, service users and staff alike. All our lives were turned upside-down. Theones in hospital had little access to laundry facilities, so staff gathered some of their own clothesfor the three evacuees to borrow. Gradually staff were able to go back into Ravensfield to pick upmore of our belongings. Families too were employed in choosing what we might need from ourrooms, but it was hard to know what we might want as there was no indication of how long wemight be away from our home.Some of us had been evacuated before, as in January 2005 the river spilled over the wall oppositeour home and across the car park towards the door. On that occasion we were evacuated to KeswickHospital during the night, but were home again by lunch or tea time the next day.This time we were out before lunch time, but that was back in November 2009. We have seenChristmas out of our community and away from friends, and a hundredth birthday plan has goneawry. New Year was not an occasion to be happy as we had hoped to be home by then. The newlife and hope that came with spring sunshine has not yet reached us, not helped by that fact thatsome of our ‘Home-mates’ have passed away. So even if we get back, life will not be the same again– ever.Staff too have had a tough time. Some of them have been moved from home to home, as the strainof travelling long distances to work week after week has taken its toll. And even if we get back, someof the staff may not be returning either.Perhaps the hardest part for us is the not knowing ‘When’, or ‘If’ we will get back. And there seemsas though we can do nothing about it.If there is no post-script added to this account which was written in May 2010, then the followingstill applies.If you are a visitor to Keswick, let me reassure you that it is a great place to live. I know, because Iused to live there.

Anon

Ravensfield’s Story

EVACUATED! EVACUATED!


After a wet summer and autumn, by the 18th November it was becoming fairly obvious that therewas a possibility of flooding so we started to carry things upstairs, especially books from the lowershelves of the bookcases. On the morning of the 19th it was even more ominous so we moved thecar to higher ground near the hospital and continued carrying things upstairs. Kind people fromvarious organisations helped and we even had a delivery of bricks to put under some of the bigfurniture.Around 10 a.m. everyone had gone and it went quiet. Edgar, Suzanne (our daughter-in-law) and Iwere left. We had taken the kettle, mugs, tea, candles etc upstairs and were ready to stay there untilafter the flood had come and then subsided when we would be able to survey the damage.When the flood did arrive, from nothing at about 10-30 a.m. to a torrent at about 11 a.m. it camesurprisingly quickly. Watching through the window the torrent of water rushing past the front gatewas quite frightening and although only about 18” deep it was obvious that if anyone had fallenover in it they would have had difficulty getting up again.We watched an empty dinghy being pulled up the road and decided that if it came down again wewould ask for a lift. It did, so we thumbed a lift. They were Workington firemen so first of all Edgarwas pushed and pulled out of the sitting room window and carried to the boat, then Suzanne, thenme. We had to sit in the bottom of the boat which was very wet, with rain pouring on us, (it remindedme of white water rafting), and the current took us down the road turning right at the bottomof Crosthwaite Road on to slightly higher ground where a waiting four wheel drive (probablybelonging to Mountain Rescue) took us round the by-pass to our waiting cars outside the hospital. We were then able to drive to our daughter-in-law’s house. Cars were driving along the road, albeitcarefully and life up there seemed fairly normal.

Susan and Edgar ApplebyCrosthwaite Road

Thursday 19th November ranks as one of the worst days in my very long life. I got numerous floodwarnings and visits from the Police and Mountain Rescue. I decided to stay put as, having beenflooded in January 2005, I mistakenly believed “lightning would not strike in the same place twice”.After 2 p.m. when the River Greta burst over High Hill a mini tsunami flooded up my road stoppinga few inches below my top step and I still hoped I would not be flooded. Although I live in abungalow I was able to move my smaller possessions to safe places, including chairs etc whichminimised my loss. When the water entered by house I phoned the Mountain Rescue who broughtan inflatable boat up my driveway to transport me, together with a neighbour, through the now highflood water, to a Land Rover strategically placed.The following day I was relocated to a lovely self catering cottage at Applethwaite but when theweather deteriorated into lethal, icy roads and heavy snow the location was not quite so idyllic!After 4 weeks I had to move because the accommodation was let for Christmas and I stayed in afriend’s flat in Keswick for 2 weeks. The weather was diabolical and in order for my car not to bestuck I had to move it several times to different on-street parking spots. I went back to Applethwaiteon 4th January, feeling like a gypsy with most of my immediate possessions in my car.Being flooded is a traumatic experience and for some weeks I did not feel good and leaned onfamily and friends. The Flood Centre at St. Herbert’s was a wonderful haven and most days I wentthere at lunch time for delicious soup etc, warmth, friendship and information and help. I cannotspeak highly enough of the huge band of volunteers headed by Graham Thompson, Chairman ofKFAG.I had 7 blower/driers installed in my bungalow which ran for over 6 week, 24 hours a day and it wasa great boost when I got my certificate of dryness. I was able to proceed immediately with myrestoration/decorating work because I had persuaded my loss adjustor to allow me to get my ownlabour, submitting estimates where were largely agreed on the same day by email. This took afurther 5 weeks and the euphoric moment arrived when I was able to move back into my bungalow(no spring cleaning for me!). I remain positive and feel that the flood work being carried out nowand in the next 2 years will make a difference.

Tink StevenCrosthwaite Gardens

Rescued by Boat Tink’s Story

Rescue Boat at High Hill Evacuation at Crosthwaite GardensPhoto: The Keswick Reminder Photo: Mike Gormley

EVACUATED! EVACUATED!


Lakehead CourtIt is always with some trepidation that you answer the telephone when it rings in the middle of thenight. The call on this occasion was no different. It was a recorded message from “Flood Watch”advising me that the property I was in was in danger of imminent flooding, slightly tinged withamusement on my part, in that the message advised me to “Take my cattle to high ground.”From experience of the previous flood, I was aware that if I could see the tops of the advertisingboards surrounding the rugby pitch, it would be some while before we were in danger of the waterreaching the building, so I went back to bed, although there was not much sleep involved.By daylight, the water was in the garden up to the flower beds, and no sign of the advertisingboards which previously could be seen from the reflected light off the water. The signs were notgood, and in a very short while there was a knock on the door to say that all three floors of thebuilding were being evacuated, not because the water had yet entered the building, but was likelyto do so which would probably mean the loss of electric power, which would have stranded someresidents on upper floors who were dependant on the lift to access their flats.The main concern was for residents on the ground floor, and we were congregated in the main hallto await evacuation, with the assistance of the Police, members of Keswick Lions Club, and driversfrom Davies Taxis. We were not aware initially of where we would be going or for how long, thelatter being dependant on whether the water actually entered the building.Our evacuation location turned out to be the Convention Centre, and it was a surprise to some whenthey realised the facilities that it offered. I think some thought that they would be in sleeping bagsin the Convention Tent!From the moment we arrived, the assistance offered by the Convention Staff, the Police, & SocialServices was tremendous. It was not long before some sandwiches were provided by a local Hotel,and we were allocated rooms in the Centre, for a period of time which was still uncertain, notknowing at this stage whether our building had escaped the flood or not.A continental style breakfast was served by a member of the Rotary Club, and we settled down toawait information on the situation outside. By this time, we had been joined by people from othertemporary Reception Centres, and the wheels of organisation started to turn, with the welcomearrival of the catering staff from Ullswater College who did a fantastic job of providing meals overthe next few days.By this time, it became apparent that our building had escaped the ingress of water, but thesurrounding areas of Elliott Park and the Rugby Club were badly affected. It also became apparentthat Cockermouth and Workington were having even greater problems than Keswick, which wasborne out by members of the Fire and Rescue Services from all over the country who were usingthe Centre as a temporary rest place and a chance to get a hot meal. One crew came from Invernesswith their inflatable rescue craft, but these soon left to go to Cockermouth where there serviceswere more urgently required.Many of the evacuees whose premises had escaped the flood were anxious to return to theirproperties, but the Management Company of our flats suggested that we stay at the Centre untilMonday when matters will have settled down.This a number of us did, and we returned on Monday with a prayer of thanks for having been sparedthe trauma suffered by so many.The three days spent at the Convention Centre are days which will be remembered for manyreasons, the chief one being the compassion of the people we came into contact with over thosefew days for those who had suffered in some form. From my own situation, the only trauma I hadsuffered was being evacuated and not knowing whether I would be flooded like so many who had.Thank God, and all those helpers, I was spared, but it was an experience that I would not wish togo through again, and hopefully, with the work being put in by the Flood Action Group, actions willbe taken to prevent, or at least minimise, the effects of a similar unprecedented rainfall in such ashort period of time.

Jack HobbsLakehead Court

Southey Street - Evacuation CentreOn the morning of Thursday 19th November I was with other members of the FloodwatchVolunteers knocking on peoples’ doors and offering to help them prepare for the expected flooding.At about 9-00 a.m. I had a call from the Control Centre asking me if I would open up the MethodistChurch Hall as an evacuation centre. I opened up the church and called on a few church membersto come in and help.We were soon joined by a family who had been evacuated from a house in Penrith Road. Theyincluded an elderly couple and a woman in an advanced state of pregnancy. A few other evacueesalso joined us. We made soup and sandwiches for lunch and remained in the church hall all day.The Mayor and his partner and various officials called in during the day. Late in the afternoon theauthorities arranged to move our evacuees to the Keswick Convention Centre where there werebedrooms available. At 5-00 p.m. I was just locking the church when John Cain, working on behalfof Allerdale, arrived and asked us to stay open. The main evacuation centre at Keswick School wasnot available and people were now being evacuated from Greta Street and Blencathra Street as aprecaution.Soon, about fifteen evacuated people (and two dogs) arrived. I called my helpers back in and wesettled down for the evening. A large jigsaw was found and a group of people started to work on it.We sent out to the Spar shop to buy provisions but their shelves were bare. More sandwiches forsupper!We began to prepare for an overnight stay. The owner of the Keswick Lodge Hotel brought uspillows and duvets and a woman from Cumbria Catering brought us provisions for breakfast. I found that our upholstered pew cushions laid on the floor made quite effective mattresses and Iwas able to prepare ‘beds’ for all of us. A few of our evacuees settled themselves on a settee andin armchairs and went to sleep. During the evening we heard that the water level was receding and at 10-00 p.m. one of the families,who were on holiday in Keswick, decided to return to their holiday home. At about 11-30 p.m. weheard that the water level had gone down and that Greta Street and Blencathra Street were clear.After a group discussion, everyone decided that they would rather go back to their homes. Thejigsaw was abandoned. At midnight I locked up the church and returned home. The Greta was backwithin its banks and I had missed all the scenes of flooding.

Roy Ellis Churches Together

Photo: Fr. Peter SharrockArchbishop John Sentamu

EVACUATED! EVACUATION CENTRES

50 — Weathering the Storm 2009

Thursday 19th November began much like any other day – it was raining, but that’s not so unusualin Keswick in the winter. During the morning we received a phone call asking if we could make theConvention Centre available as Keswick’s main Reception Centre for those who were beingevacuated from their homes. By the early evening we had welcomed some 50 local residents –including a number from Lakehead Court (sheltered housing). We also gave refuge and food to stafffrom the emergency and support services. There was a real sense of the community pullingtogether to serve those in need.We have accommodation for 41 people in 17 rooms which are let out to groups throughout the year.We had to ask a group who were due in at the weekend to cancel – which they were mindful to doanyway, recognising that they might not have been able to get to Keswick! Overnight we providedbeds for 39 people who had been evacuated, plus a small number of support team staff. We weresupported magnificently by Cumbria County Catering and Social Services, plus local volunteersfrom Alzheimer’s Society.The media spotlight was very much on Keswick on Thursday. We had a visit from Sky TV, and I soonlost count of the number of telephone interviews I did with the press and radio.Over the weekend a number of people moved on to alternative accommodation, and we saidfarewell to our last guests on Monday evening, 23rd November.

During the period of the flooding, and the days that followed, I was privileged to be able to serve,with others, on the co-ordinating team that met in the Keswick Town Council offices. We met onceor twice each day, and had visits from a Government minister, one of the PM’s advisors, andArchbishop John Sentamu, amongst others. The week ended with a visit from Julia Bradbury andHRH Price Charles who together switched on the town’s Christmas lights. It was somewhat ironicthat whilst our Convention Centre on Skiddaw Street became the Reception Centre, our property atRawnsley was flooded; so we can truly say that we have seen the consequences of the floodingfrom several angles!It is something of a cliché that today’s news is tomorrow’s fish and chip wrapping, but the nationalmedia soon moved on; the vans with satellite dishes disappeared, and the town sought to get onwith what the emergency planners call “the recovery phase”; and for many, that is still where weare.Some months on we are now looking together at how we can support the community in the eventof future emergencies. There is a lot to do, but lots of lessons have been learnt.Across the county it was good to see the churches working together – being a good neighbour to those in need. I must also pay tribute to the staff team here at Keswick Ministries who all soughtto do whatever they could to serve.

Simon OverendOperations Manager, Keswick Ministries

Convention Centre’s StoryI arrived in work at the Skiddaw Hotel about 10 a.m. on the morning of the 19th November. Therehad been torrential rain in the previous 24 hours and news had started to filter through that the riverat High Hill and other locations around the town was in danger of breaking its banks. With this inmind I contacted Pat Stokes, President of Rotary, with the view to cancelling the Rotary lunch thatwas due to take place that day, which we both agreed would make sense as members of the clubwere assisting home owners under the threat of flooding.As lunch was now cancelled we sent John Thompson, Malcolm Gray and Carrick Wharmby to helpmembers of Keswick Rotary and Keswick Lions who were assisting the threatened homeowners. As the day progressed the decision was made to evacuate those homes threatened with flooding.On hearing this news, I contacted the emergency control centre located in the council offices andoffered our services as a rescue centre, as we had done in the floods of five years ago. Over the nextfew hours people started arriving at the hotel and under the care of Deseree Harakraj and MariaQuigley were settled into the Greta Suite where towels, tea and coffee, hot soup and sandwicheswere provided.Working under the guidance of the control centre it became obvious that the flood victims wouldnot be returning any time soon, so the decision was made to accommodate them overnight.Deseree and Maria took everyone’s details and then we allocated everyone a room for the night, atotal of some 30 to 40 people. In the evening the chefs of the hotel provided a hot meal for theguests who were stranded. As the night progressed the rain continued to fall and we continued totake in the waifs and strays. During the whole event I paid many visits to the control centre to seeif there was any further assistance the hotel could offer, i.e. spare blankets, flasks of tea and coffeeetc. for the many volunteers and professional services involved in the evacuation.A lot of evacuees were in the bar till late in the evening and the overriding atmosphere was one ofdetermination, resilience and a vow to bounce back from the devastation that had befallen many ofthem, a very humbling experience.The staff of the hotel worked until the early hours of the morning assisting new arrivals andgenerally trying to keep up the spirits of the guests; the staff of the hotel showed, without exception,the true community spirit which the Skiddaw Hotel has become well known for these last few years,and a team of people who I was exceptionally proud to work alongside on this very difficult day.As it transpired the hotel accommodated thirty guests in the hotel over the next few weeks, with thelast evacuee Mrs Sheila Birthwistle only leaving the hotel at the end of March.The hotel also provided accommodation to the army engineers who designed and built thetemporary footbridge across the River Derwent at Workington and these gentlemen workedeighteen to twenty hour days in their endeavours to establish a link between the north and southsides of Workington and now a lot of these guys have been posted to Afghanistan, so our thoughtsare with them and their families.

Kevin CurranManager, Skiddaw Hotel

The Skiddaw Hotel

Weathering the Storm 2009 — 51EVACUATION CENTRES EVACUATION CENTRES


We live in High Hill. I hadn’t been at home during the January 2005 flood (when we narrowlyescaped being flooded), but my husband had and he just knew from the rain we’d had up toTuesday 17 November and the forecast that we were in for the same thing again. We spent thewhole of Wednesday carrying stuff upstairs, and that evening we moved our vehicles to highground.At 8 a.m. on Thursday we rang a friend who lives on Manesty View to ask if she’d take care of ourtwo dogs, so she came and took them off with her. My husband then brought our campervan backdown to the house, and we loaded it with food, bedding and clothes – enough for several days. Hethen parked it at the top of Vicarage Hill in a friend’s drive. By that time, there was nothing else wecould carry upstairs but we propped the settees and armchairs up on coffee tables and a set of fourtyres that we just happened to have in our shed!We were following Lynne Jones’s hourly river reports, and also popping down to the bridgeoccasionally ourselves. So we knew the river was just about level with the top of the wall. Soon afterthat we looked out of the front window and saw water flowing down High Hill, so decided it wastime to evacuate. I can’t remember the exact time but it was around midday. We switched off theelectricity, put on our waterproofs and stuffed the last few items into our rucksacks (medication,mobile phone charger, etc). This probably took about 15 minutes.We didn’t feel worried as we walked down High Hill as the water wasn’t over our wellies, but whenwe got to the bottom of Vicarage Hill we were stopped in our tracks. We had forgotten that the roaddips down before it starts to go uphill, and our first reaction was “We’re NEVER going to getthrough that water.” We knew Crosthwaite Road had already flooded so we would be no better offturning back and trying that way. At that point a man came along and stared at the swirling waterwith us but said “I’ve got to get up that hill, my wife’s at the top.” So the three of us set off togetherin single file, holding on to the fence that ran along the edge of the Furness’s garden. The watercrept up and up until it reached the tops of my thighs (my knicker line, to be precise). Then we cameto the point where Crosthwaite Gardens joins Vicarage Hill, so nothing to hang on to. We linkedarms and slowly waded through, me remembering the story of how someone last time had nearlydisappeared down an open manhole.Finally we began walking out of the water and we squelched our way up to the van. We drove tosome friends in Lakeland Park and parked at the end of their drive. We had previously rung them,but I distinctly remember that we didn’t ask if we could come and plug into their electricity, we toldthem. However, being the very good friends that they are, they weren’t at all put out. And of coursethey took us in to dry off and have a cup of tea before we retreated to our mobile home. It was verycomfortable what with central heating, TV and a mobile phone, and a good supply of food. (And nodogs! My husband did walk over to visit them and take them out for their evening exercise.)And so we sat and listened to the rain. That night I wrote in my diary “This may have been the daywe flooded.” And indeed it was.

Chris GuyHigh Hill

High Hill

Our Lady of the Lakes and St Charles Church Car Park Photo: Fr. Peter Sharrock

Show field under water Photo: Anon

High Hill Garage Photo: The Keswick Reminder

SPECIAL STORIES SPECIAL STORIES


Cats

The cats had to be left behind as the flood waters rose. They were picked up later by the R.S.P.C.A.who took them to one of their centres.Our cat was bemused by the lack of cat flap. It had been covered over by the flood gate.We did not see our cat for 3 days. We think she had gone to find some safer higher ground andstayed put till things were more settled. She was wet and bedraggled and very hungry.

Oh God, not again!

I’d just got used to the new furniture, and now I’ll have to get used to a new lot again.The first time it happens you just get on and cope, but this time it has been harder.

2nd Time Around

I lost the contents of my house in the first flood 4 years ago. At that time I hoped it would nothappen again. I was mistaken. It did.Prolonged rain prompted me to start moving anything that I could upstairs before the water cameinto the house.Flood gates were in position at the front and back doors, but they could not stop the water gettingin.A man came and told me where to go. He picked me up and carried me to his Land Rover to takeme to the Skiddaw Hotel to be looked after.Everyone who has helped me have been so kind and helpful; local people, visitors, the Red Cross,Flood Recovery Centre, the Lions, Rotary Club and Castlehead Medical Centre to name but a few.Hopefully, I’ll be back in my home in February. (In the end I was back home in March.)

Cats 2

“Please don’t pretty up the information in the local paper - we just need the facts.Being flooded was just awful, and where we are now is not good.An eye-catching information article won’t make things better - just highlight how bad our situationis.”The house clearing firm took away everything, even those things that wouldn’t have been affected.The Council were very good at removing things the next day via the bin men. They only took whatwe put out. I had 5 planters in my front garden set up to make a nice display. They all floated off and were foundin Church Lane 3 streets away. The Council workers put some on the tailgate of their van and helpedto bring them back again.I have lost my flat. I was there for 5 years. We knew from the night before that it would flood, so Iwas able to prioritise and put certain things up higher. My business papers were put on shelves,with the most important ones on top. I got the car parked up higher too.We had a phone call about 8 a.m., I’d slept with my wellies next to the bed – I didn’t want themfloating off. Though them having a hole in didn’t help. I managed to get 95% of my things out of thehouse into the car, and I’d packed an overnight bag, and 3 boxes of accounts. The friend who hadoffered me a bed was out of the area, so I phoned someone I knew who had recently been widowedand went to stay with her for the day (though stayed on except for a few weeks over Christmas).People came to help me remove the wet carpet, one brought a Stanley knife and one a crow bar.When the builders came to do the work on the flat I wasn’t ready. “Just give me a few moreminutes” I asked them. I wanted to say goodbye to my home as I knew then that I wouldn’t be goingback.I am a person who has a faith in God, and in the past he has provided me with homes, and I knewthat this would be the case again.All the dustbins ended up in one garden. There were 10 of them all lined up by the householderthere for us to collect as we went past. “I get my keys tomorrow, I’m so pleased I could cry with relief. It was alright being out of my homefor a bit, but now it’s all getting a bit much. Most of us will soon be back but we are not all goingback, one person has died and another has moved somewhere else. So it will not be the same.”

Snippets from SurvivorsUnited Utilities is best known as Cumbria’s water and waste water company, but we also look afterthe region’s network of electricity cables and half the county’s gas mains. So when a month’s worthof rain fell in just one day on 19th November 2009, we were one of the first agencies on the sceneand our engineers were right at the heart of the recovery effort. This is the story of just a few.All eyes were on Cumbria that fateful day. As the nation woke up to the scale of the devastation andthe true toll of human heartache unfolded, the first of hundreds of United Utilities staff weremobilised from right across our region. Some helped co-ordinate activities in the police commandcentre, but most were on the streets working shoulder to shoulder with rescue crews and residents.In Keswick, almost 350 homes and businesses had been plunged into darkness. River water hadflooded five electricity substations, damaging essential high and low voltage equipment – all ofwhich needed to be repaired before the painstaking process of restoring supplies could begin. Electricity response engineer Dave Judson was checking equipment in his usual area in SouthLakeland when was asked to urgently help rally a response team in Keswick. “It was devastating.Flood waters had just washed right through people’s homes going in the front door and out theback. Despite being very upset, people were incredibly stoical. You just wanted to do everything you could to help them,” he said. “One of the big problems we faced was getting access to homeswhich were empty because the residents had to leave them. Neighbours and friends helped us findrelatives and phone numbers to make sure our work could be done. The local Lions club were veryhelpful too, helping us deliver letters and get information to people about the work we needed to do.”Mark Kennedy and Simon Shaw were just two of the technicians working in people’s homes. “Oneelderly resident had been trapped upstairs for three days, being cared for by his family, because hehad no power. We made sure his was one of the first homes we reconnected,” said Mark.For another resident, the water heater in a joiner’s van provided the first hot drink she’d had fordays, explained Simon. The scale of the rainfall also caused some access difficulties for ouroperators looking after Thirlmere reservoir, high in the hills above Keswick.United Utilities’ Russ Bate was the first to reach the reservoir the day after the floods. “My first jobwas to check the dam and the treatment works which supplies water to people in Keswick.Fortunately both of them were working well, but I have never seen the reservoir overflowing downthe spillway into St John’s Beck so much. “Some people in Keswick thought we had opened flood gates to let water out of Thirlmere. No-oneseems to know where this idea came from, but it’s completely untrue. We don’t have any floodsluice gates at Thirlmere and we didn’t release any extra water. The water which came fromThirlmere was just the rain from the hillsides following its natural route down the overflow spillway.But a month’s worth of rain in 24 hours is an exceptional amount. We now reckon the amount ofwater entering and overflowing from Thirlmere at the height of the storm was around 10,000 millionlitres, equivalent to a quarter of the reservoir’s storage capacity.”Every one of our engineers has a story to tell about the floods. Employee after employeevolunteered to work late and complete extra shifts to try to restore normality for the manythousands of Cumbrians whose lives were catastrophically affected. Staff at two remote watertreatment works provided temporary shelter and hot drinks for local people who had none at home.Others waded into a river to reach a cable to safeguard power supplies. Yet more bravedtreacherous conditions to suspend a temporary water main across a river to restore water to acommunity cut off when a bridge collapsed. We would like to thank them, as well as the staff of the emergency services, rescue volunteers,welfare agencies, Radio Cumbria, voluntary organisations like Keswick Lions and Keswick FloodAction Group, and of course the people of Keswick and Cumbria themselves for their help andcontinued efforts.

Polly RourkeUnited Utilities

United Utilities – Flood Facts

• 7,500 customers lost electricity (80% restored within 12 hours)• 50 people lost their water supply• No one lost their gas supply• Nine substations flooded• 2km of overhead power line swept away by flood waters• Our structural engineers volunteered to help survey Cumbria’s 1,800 bridges

Stories from United Utilities



Put a flag on it!

The last time we were flooded people filled the skips with their own things, but there has been apolicy change. The new instructions were for each household to make their own pile of rubbish, anda phone number to contact with their own inventory of items. Then the insurance company wouldcheck the pile against the inventory.But there were many piles outside the block of flats, which did not look too good for passers-by.How was I to identify my pile? I was told to put a flag on it!

Don’t bring a bottle bring a glass

Four of us neighbours have been flooded and plan to celebrate when we get back home. I canprovide the nibbles, and some drink, but they will have to bring their own glasses because I don’tknow where mine are.My insurance company (through Age Concern) were great. At Christmas they sent a £100 voucherbecause I’d been flooded. Sometimes I just go and sit among the rubble in my home – but I knowit will be sorted out one day soon.

Lost

We’ve lost our home, and our business. Our young daughter has lost all her toys, and I’ve lost allthe photos I have had since the age of 16.

Three weeks prior to the event we had moved the poultry houses and sheep above water levelknowing we weren’t likely to escape an episode this winter as Thirlmere was brim full and it hadrained almost constantly since August.

A Farmer’s Story

Low Beck

Low Bridge End Farm - 10,000 million litres overflowed from Thirlmere down St. John’s in the Vale in one day.The damage to the landscape, farm fences and footpaths was considerable. It will take many months of extra workto make even a partial restoration.

Photos: Graham Chaplin-Brice

View from Latrigg Photo: ???????



The night before the flood I parked a car on the road (I needed to be in Harrogate by 10-30 a.m. thenext day). Walking back to the house I wondered if I was being stupid as there was loads of roomunder the bridge, the water was off over topping the lonnin and it wasn’t raining much.At 7 a.m. the following morning our youngest son woke us saying “water’s over l’lonnin”. And itwas, well and truly. It was a tractor job to get me to the car, and even then it was only just possible.I left the sinking ship knowing that we had done all we could and there was nothing else to be donebut wait. The water comes so deep and so fast it is frightening. The entire valley fills and you wouldthink it another lake.It was ghastly watching events unfold on the television. Harrogate was dry and sunny. I returnedhome on the Sunday. I knew the damage was immense. The one saving grace was that the bridgesurvived. You couldn’t get a vehicle to it as the farm road had been washed away to a depth of 10feet, but we could still get over the raging torrent of the beck to feed the livestock.It took a couple of weeks for the water levels to drop sufficiently to assess the extent of the damage.Every day things looked worse. Our first job was to repair the road, as we had visitors’ cars stuck inthe yard and our car was stuck out on the road. This was achieved by bringing in 150 tons of stone.Quite ironical, as we had huge gravel deposits on the fields (about 1,000 tons), but it was simply toowet to reach them. We’ve lost most of our fences, gates and even lengths of dry stone wall. Weended up selling sheep at the wrong time of the year as we were unable to contain them owing toour lack of field boundaries.With previous floods we have just been left to clear up and repair the damage ourselves. Insurancenever covers these events and we always end up out of pocket. This one was different - because ofthe huge extent of the damage the agencies got involved. We could apply for a £6,800 clear upgrant. This, needless to say, is insufficient. We were told there was extra money, then that waswithdrawn. We were told too that we could stockpile the gravel on our land, then we were told wecouldn’t as it contravened our farm agreements. The Environment Agency said one thing, NaturalEngland said another.All we ask is for a joined up approach. It’s bad enough being flooded, but it makes it impossiblewhen you can’t get answers to simple questions.

Sarah and Graham Chaplin-BriceSt John’s in the Vale

“If you can dream and not make dreams your master;If you can think and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and DisasterAnd treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spokenTwisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,And stoop and build ‘em up with worn out tools:”

We were warned that Keswick was about to flood. The ambulance took my reluctant invalidhusband to Keswick Hospital and I prepared to sit it out. The floodguards were in place although Inearly forgot the bath overflow exit.The emergency services were outstanding and I was visited by several of them. The police warnedme that when the water reached a certain level outside to call them otherwise I would not be ableto get out. They moved the car to the top of the drive as the road had never flooded before. It israised above the fields.It was still dry inside – the floodguards were holding. I watched at the window, keeping an eye onthe Howrahs opposite, particularly the level of the water as it passed through the five-bar gates.Quite suddenly I saw a huge wall of water coming across the field. It jumped the road and the beck,landing in our front garden. I was terrified and rang the police. The Mountain Rescue vehicle arrivedand I climbed out of the window. I was offered a piggyback but thought it safer to wade to the car.We then drove up and down High Hill collecting people from their doorsteps. The road seemedcrowded with several members of the Mountain Rescue wading in flooded water in the pouringrain. They must have been frozen.I was dropped off at Keswick Hospital where my husband was a patient. He worried that if we couldnot return to our house, he would be sent to a nursing home. My husband’s condition grew worseand I lost track of the floods in the next three days. He was rushed to Carlisle by caring paramedicsonly to be greeted by an Accident and Emergency consultant who stood over my husband’s bedand shouted that the quality of life had gone and it was not worth doing anything. The next morninghe called from further down the ward “Remember what I told you.” I am still haunted by hisremarks and wonder whether my husband was well enough to hear. He was still able to squeezemy hand and smile at our son when he arrived from the south. He died three days later when ourson and I were rushing back to Keswick to check on the flood. We had thought he seemed a littlebetter. I am sorry he did not die in Keswick Hospital – they would have been much kinder – but forthe floods he would have lived a little longer. He had been looking forward to going to the Carers’Christmas party.The floods caused havoc to our house and grounds. There was a huge crater in front of our drive.It was about four feet deep and six feet wide. The car had been carried back into the garden andstood about fifteen feet away in the middle of the turning circle. Fences and gates were down anda heavy shed is still standing at an angle. The furniture inside the house was all over the place. Itwas heavy furniture too.It will be several more months before the work is completed. People have been very kind. I amgetting used to being a displaced person. It must be terrible to live in the Third World.

Barbara FaulknerQuinta

The Saddest Story



BoothsThe day of the floods

We realised by 7-00 a.m. that it wasn’t going to be a normal day at Booths. The fact we had anenormous puddle in the centre of the car park, one in the warehouse yard and the ferocity of therainfall were a bit of a giveaway! By 9-00 a.m. we were getting worried that we had staff that were going to be travelling on extremelywet roads; by 10-00 a.m. we were informing staff who had to travel into town to stay away. We hada few staff who worked locally and they were happy to come in to cover any shortfalls, little did weknow how bad it would get.Just after lunch time we received the message that they were shutting roads, our car park was nowa small boating lake and we were left with a handful of staff. We decided to try and stop the everencroaching water from getting in the front doors by piling high bags of compost, in hindsight thisonly helped to keep the water in. By the time the last of us were leaving we spotted a lovely man in a dingy who kindly offered totake us over the now fully submerged car park to drier ground.We left and prayed the rain would stop and all would be well, how wrong we were.

The aftermath

Nothing could have prepared us for what we found at 7-00 a.m. the next morning. The electricitywas down and we entered the building to find display stands floating in the water and our “goodidea” of blocking the doors with bags of compost had backfired big style, the water had no way ofgetting out.The eeriness and stillness were unnerving.Plans were hatched and with the help of Facebook, the Booths website and lots of mobile phoneconversations we had staff to help with the clean up operation which, with the help of staff, outsideindustrial cleaning operatives and Booths amazing maintenance team meant that by 6-00 p.m. onthe Saturday we were reopened for business.

Reflection

We all learned vital life lessons during the floods. Every single member of our staff andmanagement team worked hard, in horrendous conditions, without complaining, with a laugh anda joke and as a great team. That is what we are.

Maria BoydBooths

Booths trolleys under water

Booths Car Park

Photo: Barry Cox

Photo: Barry Cox

Boat House Photo: Peter Brumwell



Rescuing the HorsesWe had to rescue the horses. Went down to the stables at around 5-45 p.m. Thursday (pitch black)to check on all the animals. We couldn't get that far though because it was like a raging torrent onthe roads. Had to abandon Colin's van at Crossings Corner (we came over Vicarage Hill and into adeep flooded area in the bottom - over the top of his bonnet). The water was too high and thecurrent too strong to go any further in it. We had then to plough our way up the road through thewater to the stables, on foot. It was waist high at times and with a very, very strong current. Whenwe opened the stables’ gate the force of the water nearly swept us off our feet. Phoned the Policebut got no help. The horses were in their stables with water gushing in through the back walls. They were shiveringand panicking like mad - water up past their bellies together with all their bedding floating andswirling around them. Even getting the stable doors open, with all that water inside and a similaramount in the alley outside the stable doors, was very difficult. Wheelie bins, rugs, buckets, andbales of shavings etc., raging past us as we tried to get the horses out. It was like being in a “living nightmare”!!Reckon if we hadn't gone to check on them, there was a chance they would have drowned, as thewater was rising fast. It was flooding like a torrent across the road from the Show field and throughthe stable walls.Our fields have flooded before but in all the years I have been there it has never, ever gone into thestables or any other buildings!We got the horses out of the stables, with great difficulty but hadn't a clue where we could takethem safely?!! Ali and Julie both said I could take them to their field/stables but it was getting there, all the roadswere deep, fast flowing rivers. The roads up to Town Centre were all under water, as the river hadcome over the wall at High Hill and it was the same up Crosthwaite Road. I have never, everexperienced anything like this. You see it on the TV but it doesn't sink in until you experience it andI never ever want to go through that again.The horses were panicking but behaved better than I could have hoped, only because I think theywere finding it really hard work walking against the deep, strong, fast currents and hopefullybecause they realised we were rescuing them. It was like trying to walk through thick porridgepushing against your legs – keeping your balance was a feat in itself never mind trying to goforward.I had to phone 999 for help at one point (for the 3rd time) because I got stuck on one side of theroad on top of a wall by High Hill garage. Colin was across the water by the Catholic Church, withboth horses. (I’d had to let my horse go earlier, as I couldn’t keep up with him – thank goodness hewent across to his friend). I couldn’t get off the wall, as the water was raging too strongly past me,and was up to my waist. Every time I tried to get off the wall, the force of the water took my legsaway horizontally and I just couldn’t reach the ground. I was nearly a ‘statistic’ myself at that point.Two local guys – Johnny and Carrick (rugby players) eventually came along (looking for people tohelp) and between the three of us, we managed to get across the road to Colin and the horses. Theyhelped get us through the worst of the floods to a higher bit of ground on Vicarage Hill. Carrick tookone of the horses off Colin. Jonny and I were hanging onto each other to try and stay upright;otherwise the current would have just taken us. It took us over 3 hours to get the horses out of the stables and through the floods to Julie’s stables,about a mile up the road at Applethwaite road ends. We were going against the current most of thetime, which was really hard work, as you had to try and lift your foot up off the ground and force itforwards against the pressure of the water, then struggle to get it back down to the ground again,then do the same with the other – my legs ached for days after!! The one time the current wasbehind us, going past the new housing estate off Limepots towards Vicarage Hill, it nearly swept usoff our feet. That was probably more difficult than pushing our way forward.It was really stupid at that point, because all I could think was “I mustn’t let the water push me overbecause I had my mobile phone in my pocket and didn’t want to either lose or damage it in thewater” as that was my lifeline”!!It took us until after 9 p.m. to get the horses to Julie’s stables. My legs were killing me and I wasfreezing cold and very wet up to my waist. If Jonny and Carrick hadn’t come along when they did,I dread to think how we would have managed (or not, as the case may be).I heard, once I got back home, that the Mountain Rescue Sea King helicopter had been deployed tolook for us after my last 999 call. It was right overhead at one point with search-lights blazing. Notquite sure what they would have done with the horses if they had found us or what the horseswould have done about the helicopter?!! (My phone kept ringing in my pocket but I couldn’t get to

it safely – so I rang the number when I eventually got home and it was the Mark Hodgson from theMountain Rescue, who had been trying to ring me back after my 999 calls, that’s when he told meabout the helicopter.)The next morning was really scary – going down to face the mess and hoping that everything hadsurvived.Our stables’ cat took some finding. We eventually found him up in the hay loft. He took somecoaxing to get him to come back down. The two hens were o.k. too – we’d grabbed them when wewent down the night before and put them onto the top of a stable door and had to just leave them,so hardly dared hope! They must have clung on for dear life all night – The power of survival mustgive extra strength and determination – as there they were the next morning (as if nothing had everhappened)!!What a revolting sludgy mess and damage we had to deal with in every store, shed and stable. Fivebales of shavings floated away and we found three down Church Lane - across two fields in theallotments (over 4ft fences). The fields were littered with my possessions and other nasty debristhat had been carried down in the floodwater. Weight was no obstacle – even a bath full of water(the horses “drinking trough”) floated off and we found it in the middle of the field.When we went to retrieve our shavings and other possessions that had disappeared down towardsChurch Lane, we found the farmers’ sheep – safe and well thank goodness – someone had theforesight to put them into the Church yard, which goes up onto higher ground. In the last floods(2005) they were trapped in the fields and they all drowned – poor things!It’s taken us months to clean out the mud, silt and debris from the stables, sheds and fields andrepair the worst of the damage. Most of the fencing was wrecked or actually carried away in the onslaught from the raging torrents and the debris it carried with it. So we had big gaps in the fence-lines plus lots of damaged fencing. We also lost or incurred irrepairable damage to lots of ourother possessions – so all in all a very expensive and emotional experience.The horses had to stay at my friends for a few weeks until we made the “grazing” safe and replacedand secured the fencing – a mammoth and very expensive task, which is still on-going 7 monthslater.It was a terrifying experience that makes you very aware of listening to the weather forecast muchmore carefully and trying not to ignore the Flood Line warnings. Although I do wish they wouldn’tsend one out every time there is a heavy downpour – as it does get you a bit complacent when itcomes to nothing. That’s when the “Cry Wolf Syndrome” kicks in and you start ignoring them –which is what I think happened on the fateful day – we had all received so many Flood Watches andFlood Warnings that came to nothing, so when the real thing happened we all just ignored it! –Something for the Environment Agency to think about.

Babs H



Horses in floods Photo: Babs H

Thursday morning, business as usual - well so we thought - it actually turned out to be a day likeno other!We served breakfast to our guests oblivious as to what was about to happen when a knock on thedoor sent our day in a totally different direction.“The river is rising, we could be flooded”, our neighbour told us - oh my god, what do we do now- try not to panic, it might not happen we said.We called the Council to ask for sand bags but alas they didn’t arrive in time but at least the kindhearted people of Keswick tried to help by unblocking drains and filling bags with anything theycould find to put in front of our door.We quickly rushed to move as much as we could upstairs in case the worst happened. As the riverrose higher and higher we could only hope the rain would stop but it didn’t and gradually ourcarpets became like water beds and our kitchen was slowly becoming a muddy swimming pool -our home and business were devastated. Oh no! then there was the sudden realisation that we hadguests arriving that day and also booked in at the weekend and the following week, what were wegoing to do. How could I tell them they couldn’t come, what about our New Year bookings, my heartsank into my stomach as I realised I had to let them down and cancel their bookings. Gradually I satand called them all explaining over and over again what had happened, trying to remain calm andcomposed. This was nearly as bad as watching our home being invaded by water.Eventually by 6-00 p.m. there was nothing more we could do and we decided to settle down in thesafety of our bedroom with fish and chips and a DVD.Then at 8-00 p.m. a policeman and fireman knocked on our door and shouted to us that we neededto leave as they were expecting the river to rise further overnight. We had 10 minutes to put somebelongings together and leave and were told to go to the Convention Centre where more kindvolunteers were helping.Being forced to leave our home was the icing on the cake, could it get any worse - all we could thinkabout was would the water rise higher, when would we be allowed back, what would our home belike when the water did go. We had no idea where we would we stay but then two angels disguisedas Steve and Heather from Pitcairn House offered us a room for the next few nights, we couldn’thave thanked them enough. On Friday the reality of what had happened really kicked in - as we walked back through our frontdoor we stood and stared at our brand new carpets muddy and wet, the first immediately visiblesign of the previous day’s devastation - as we walked through the house the damage became moreevident. Then came a knock at the door, it was the clearing out firm sent by the insurance company- we could only stand and watch as they ripped up our carpets and threw out our belongings - weknew then that months of drying out and building works would follow.Unfortunately, the flooding of our home wasn’t where our flood nightmare ended - the realnightmare had only just begun.

Stephanie CurtisBramblewood Cottage Guest House, 2 Greta Street, Keswick

Heavens Above!

Church Lane Photo: Mike Gormley



Bramblewood Cottage Guest House

Photo: Becx CarterGreta Street Corner

Photo: Becx Carter

Rescuing the cats

Braithwaite Bridge

Photo: Mike Gormley

Photo: Gavin Lynn



Pets Lifeline’s Story Not just Keswick -Portinscale and Braithwaite too!One in Two Hundred

So the experts said! It happened again on 19th November 2009. According to my reckoning that’s1 in 5.What am I talking about? Well you needed to have been on another planet not to know thatcatastrophic floods hit Cumbria again on 19th November 2009. Bridges down or badly damaged allover West Cumbria. Cockermouth totally devasted, frightening scenes being shown on TV news, 8 feet of flood water. Keswick was again badly flooded at the west end of town, but did not receivethe publicity that Cockermouth and Workington did.How did that affect Pets Lifeline? Well the cattery was under 4 feet of water again which meanshalfway up the second tier of cages. But the cats were all safe – read on.The flood water started to come along Crosthwaite Gardens about 11 a.m. Our phone went around11.15 a.m. It was Jean Gilbert, one of our vets from Greta Bank asking – did we need help? Joycesaid she was concerned about water levels outside already about 4 feet deep. Jean said she was onher way with the Land Rover and empty baskets – saying there was plenty of room in the cattery.As we had already had the flood barriers fitted to the house the only way to get out was through abedroom window (fortunately we do live in a bungalow), which Joyce and Kathleen immediatelydid, dropping into around 4 feet of very cold water, trusting that there was no debris under the waterto trip them up. The cattery was opened, water there was already three feet deep, and the cats madeready for evacuation. Our baskets were shut in the garage behind the flood barriers – thankfullyJean had brought a good supply. Cats were put into the baskets and carried head high over the backfence to Jean. She had the hardest and most dangerous job, carrying these baskets with verynervous or terrified cats about 50 yards to the Land Rover. If you have ever tried to walk in chestdeep water against a flow of 30 mph or so, you will know how hard this is. Jean made 14 or 15 trips.During the evacuation a group of men and one lady came down the road, strangers to us, but askedif we needed a hand. They immediately got stuck in and helped get the cats away. We had to warnthem about our hidden fish-pond next to the cattery (3 feet deep plus 4 feet of flood water), howevereveryone survived. The only way back into the house for Joyce and Kathleen was to climb onto awheelie bin and slide head first over the barriers and through the open door. Both were promptlybanished to get into dry clothes. A hot bath was unavailable, as were concerned about waterbacking up the water pipes.The day after the floods Jean Stephens (our secretary) and husband John (newsletter editor) turnedup and gave a hand to start and tidy. Jean and Joyce tackled the cattery whilst John and I startedon the garage, which contained all of our market stall goods plus bags of biscuits etc. all of whichwere ruined. The garage and cattery floors were a beautiful patchwork of colour until you steppedon them and realised it was squelchy biscuit – sloppy and heavy.The cattery was allowed to thoroughly dry for several days and the cats returned from the vets afterabout a week. Having now been submerged twice, there are several damaged planks, which willneed to be replaced once the better weather appears.We cannot thank our vet Jean Gilbert enough for the help given to us in the floods. Thanks also goto Jenny from Cockermouth, one of our members, who turned up two days after the floods with aquantity of brand new veterinary bedding for the cattery to replace the flood damaged stuff. Now12 weeks on from the flooding Pets Lifeline is back to normal, stock for markets is being replenishedand the cattery is full as usual. I’m just a bit worried about the rumour I overhead about plans for anew ark (or, as I’m a bit deaf, it could have been park!).

David WalkerPets Lifeline

Being so close to the main road, the small communities of Portinscale, Braithwaite andThornthwaite are often passed by in the blink of an eye. However as the waters of Bassenthwaiterose on that night, drivers found themselves having a much closer encounter than usual. Traffic built up along this A66 stretch very quickly as flood water slowed their desperate passage,eventually bringing both west and eastbound to a complete standstill at the junction withPortinscale as vehicles soon succumbed to the cold muddy waters when Pow Beck flooded ABOVEthe trunk road to join with rising water on the opposite side.Eastbound traffic, which had dared to risk the journey and already braved the floodwaters sinceDubwath at the far end of Bassenthwaite, found they had no further to go and behind them thewaters rose still further (eventually peaking 12 feet above the normal level until they broke OuseBridge). As the road flooded, being well fed by the Coledale Beck pouring out of Braithwaite villagemain street and more cascading water from St Mary’s viaduct bridging the road near Thornthwaite,dozens of drivers found themselves truly trapped. One witness said that the overflowing of theviaduct was “Like driving through Niagara Falls! Pelting down gravel and rocks with it.” The debriswashed onto the roads from both, had further hindered progress and yet more folk took the risk tocontinue only to discover their engines were soon overcome by the frighteningly deep water. Andso, unfortunate travellers found themselves cold, wet and very much in the dark on this unlit lengthof road. Mobile communications were down as the Keswick mast also suffered the effect of flood,and so these poor folk either chose to abandon their cars and brave the water or wait in hope foran emergency vehicle to come to their rescue!Able to go neither forward nor back, the only relief to be found was in these villages. Availableaccommodation was quickly filled by distressed folk and landlords and ladies did their best toprovide dry clothes etc., others who could, claimed kin or called on friends and local acquaintancesfor refuge. But as concern grew, and police struggled to rescue folk before real tragedy struck (andthere were several close shaves – people do die in flood situations) the heroes of the night were atthe Middle Ruddings Hotel. Realising the urgency that people had to be evacuated to somewhere of safety, but quickly, Andyand Liz McMaster told police that they would turn no one away, and so with this offer theemergency services took all the remaining shivering victims into their care. With rooms full up,lounge and bar sofas and chairs and even the floors became beds for the night to those relieved tobe in the safe company of these kind people. Andy and Liz worked through the night to help dryclothes, comfort and provide food and drink and blankets to all those brought gratefully to theirdoor. Although many residents of Braithwaite and Thornthwaite were oblivious to this particular situationas locals fought to protect their own and neighbours’ properties from the increasing floods, it wasthese actions together with the knowledge of every other good and selfless deed that was done onthat dreadful day, that has led to the forming of the Above Derwent Flood Group.

Bev BrownBraithwaite



“The Power of Nature” 2009

It had rained like this once before in my memory of Keswick. That was only a week after I movedinto the presbytery at High Hill in January 2005. Then it was during the night, with no electricity andmy belongings still in boxes on the dining room floor. Then the water reached the step before Ireturned to bed!Somehow the daylight threat of 2009 seemed more menacing. By mid morning an organised panicso filled the atmosphere that I cancelled a lunch invitation! In continuous visits to the High Hill riverheight scale things changed by the minute. Yes the water rose visibly, but so did the concern of localpeople who began to share experiences of “last time….”. The water began to dance out of smallholes in the river wall, a large dinghy appeared behind a Land Rover, police cars went too-and-froand yellow (What we now know as:) “High Vis” vests multiplied. It was 11-20 a.m. and nearly darkwhen a police woman shouted “High Tide is at noon”. Noon!? The river broke its banks and atorrent rushed down Crosthwaite Road, High Hill and the roads about St Kentigern’s Close.By 10-00 p.m. the whole area was a lake. Many neighbours had moved out – or were moved out -(some by boat!). The electricity had gone. The candles were lit. Gurgling surrounded. The cold wascreeping in. Had the water stopped rising? Not at all! What to do? Go to bed!By 5-00 a.m. I ventured downstairs in the dark ready to paddle. But no! A glimpse outside the frontdoor revealed a picture of an average wet night in Our Lady’s car park. The water had taken a dayto arrive – but a very few hours to evaporate!

“The Spirit of Humble Humanity” 2009/10

Water, dampness, smells, the rip of carpets, wet Wellingtons, torches, waves, absent wheelie bins,gained plant pots, sodden rubbish! But voices, questions. “Has anyone seen Gwen?” “Whathappened to Lilian?” And then “How can I help?”, “Anyone want tea?”. And eventually, bytelephone “Has your parish hall survived? (good question) – could we make hot meals for peoplethere?” A miracle! The hall seemed dry (at least on the surface!). We had no electricity but gasburners were found and food was created and people gathered to fill and warm themselves witheach other’s stories of yesterday. And so it went on. For weeks after the lights came on people gathered to tell about yesterday againand again powered by magnificent soup made by angels (and souperman) out of local shopgestures. They came, yes flooded people, but also those offering help in accommodation, concern,practical advice, and builders and clergy and bishops and people off the telly and news people andpoliticians and who else?

And so……

People keep saying that “Water always goes where it wants to go” with great power. Morepowerfully, people always seem to surprise even themselves when they react to the needs ofothers. Have we learned the full power of humility? Probably not! Thanks to all those who becamepart of the “St Herbert’s Flood Support Centre” in any way. Welcome home to those who havereturned – but we miss those who have still to appear!

Fr. Peter J SharrockParish Priest

The Parish Priest’s Story

Bishop of Lancaster

Soup Workers

Flood Support Centre

Photos: Fr. Peter Sharrock



Many people in Keswick trying to cope with the aftermath of the floods owe a huge debt to thepeople of Maidstone. A team of volunteers called “Restoring Hands“ from Maidstone’s JubileeChurch, sponsored by Community Resilience and authorised by Cumbria Constabulary arrived fromMaidstone to help on the Wednesday after the floods. They had all taken a week’s unpaid leave from their jobs to be here and help – they don’t often dothis in the UK!! They spent Monday and Tuesday that week raising £6,500 in Maidstone for Cumbria(as quick as that!), arriving with Ghurkha tents in case we needed a soup kitchen, lots of food,equipment like generators which businesses in their town had loaned them without charge, haddesign & printing of cards with phone numbers for help produced free by their local printers.They were here lifting furniture, removing carpets, cleaning, consoling people, making teas andalmost intuitively knowing what we all need. “What can we do next?” we heard over and overagain. Many had just two hours sleep and then drove up here, worked for 19 hours helping inKeswick (as apparently Cockermouth had loads of people helping out, being the worst affectedarea). They stayed at a Christian Retreat, Blaithwaite House, near Wigton, their food andaccommodation being given free by the managers who apparently have spared no effort in theirsupport of the team, given them comfortable beds and fed them wonderfully well when they hadexpected to “rough it” on a church floor somewhere! They were all very special people indeed, theirkindness was overwhelming.

Lynne JonesCrosthwaite Road

21 of us embarked on the 8-hour journey from Maidstone, Kent at 2-30 a.m. on Wednesday 25th

November 2009 under the banner of “Restoring Hands” a registered charity to go and be ofpractical help and support to the people of Cumbria where severe flooding had left the people ofmany of the towns devastated the previous week.We were equipped with all manner of practical things that our logistics team could possibly thinkof, from food and cleaning materials to tools which included two lighting plants and tents. Withinthree days £6,000 was raised in finance that we would be able to “sow” into the area. Initiallywe were expecting to sleep on a hall floor somewhere, but the Lord graciously providedaccommodation at a well equipped Christian centre in Wigton, Cumbria, a 20 mile drive fromCockermouth where we wanted to be. What a great blessing this proved when at the end of a longday we were able to come home to hot showers, a warm room and comfortable bed.We were raring to get stuck in on arrival, but had to patiently wait while our team leaders madecontact with the authorities whom they had contacted before our departure. Red-tape can frustratewilling, eager helpers, but we soon realized that we could not afford to offend the existing line ofauthority. And fortunately, once the powers that be realised we had come merely to serve, wefound our niche and what a privilege it was to be of practical help to a number of especially elderlypeople who really need the hands-on assistance.Our guys got stuck in clearing up, cleaning up, raking up, carting away and doing whatever theywere asked to do or saw needed doing. The ladies mostly helped indoors where packing up andclearing up was needed. In a number of the houses there was no electricity due to the flood damageand our little head lamps came in very handy indeed. We also got involved at the “Drop-In” held atone of the church halls where we helped to serve hot drinks and lunch to the locals and workmen.We worked in Keswick and Cockermouth. A television crew came to interview the local people inKeswick and Prince Charles put in an appearance as well, but we made sure that we were out of thelimelight and involved with what we came to do, serving the people.Those whom we helped were so touched by our practical assistance and amazed that we’d comeso far north to help and encourage them in their hour of need. We’re praying for the rain to stop asthere’s still so much to be done and it will take a long time to rebuild their lives. The one lady toldus that she’d have to vacate her house for six months to allow the house to dry out so that theinsurance could repair the damage. So many lives have been disrupted. We’ve committed ourselvesto remembering them in prayer and staying in touch with those who choose to.

Restoring HandsMaidstone

Restoring Hands

Restoring Hands Photo: Andrew Morant

Drying out dining room Photo: Lynne Jones

Hall Photo: Lynne Jones



Phoebe: On the 18th November it was absolutely chucking it down, the next morning it struck tobe floods which caused this...Everyday for 4 or 5 days it was absolutely chucking it down which made all the devastating floodsin Keswick. There was also news all the time and it was only talking about the floods.The great Keswick floods started on 19th November, it was really annoying because we were stuckon the hill. It was like a little island. It was really hard to get food, because it was too dangerous towalk out into the water. If you’re wondering why we couldn’t use a car, it’s because the current wasso strong it could wash it away! Apparently it broke the record at 5 miles per hour rainfall, and 8inches of water. Wow!Behind our house there’s a field and all the bunny rabbits and the hares were hopping around,because not only people lose their homes you know!

Isobel: When I woke up on Thursday I heard the sound of rain banging against my window. I knewsomething amazing was going to happen! When we had parked in the car park I paddled to theplayground and into the class. I got as far away from the door as possible. When the whole classwas at school we all started reading. Near the end of assembly Mr Booth announced school wasclosed and we all screamed with glee.As my name was called out to go home I got my stuff and went home with my mum. When we gothome my mum said “There’s something I want to show you!” I went to the window and to myhorror our neighbour’s garden was a swimming pool! All day we worried and worried until I said“Should we make snow flakes?” No said everyone, so I went to the window and watched theferocious water run along the road. I said “What will happen next?”

Liam: In November there was a big flood in Keswick, most people got evacuated and people gotput in Keswick School. My mum had to wade through the water, it was up to her waist. We weresoaking and it was a real adventure, it was amazing! When we got back we had hot chocolate with marshmallows and Bourneville chocolate.Down by the bridge by my house the water was coming off the side and my dad has never seen itcome over the side.

Molly: On 19th November 2009 the floods started. At St. Herbert’s School in assembly Mr Boothsaid that we needed to go home because of the floods. Lots of bridges were closed because of thefloods and I think over 20 schools were shut.

Stories from Keswick ChildrenNatalie: After being rescued from school it was a fight just to get home. I just managed to getacross the stream of water, but my sister had to be carried across.As the water died down all you could see was mud which then had to be cleaned up.Looking at how the community came together and supported each other was quite magical, but Ihope nothing like this happens again.

Georgina: On Friday I woke up to find no electricity which went on until lunchtime. We went out inthe torrential rain around the village to see if everything was ok. Then we found out that the churchin Thornthwaite had been flooded.

Molly: The river burst its banks and quickly flooded our driveway, covering the bonnet of our car.Within half an hour the water was underneath the carpet. We managed to move some electricalappliances upstairs. Outside the water continued to flow rapidly; it was as if the river had becomepart of the road. Suddenly it was obvious that the water was still rising and luckily the MountainRescue arrived to evacuate us.

Kiera: After hours of torrential rain, the River Greta was pouring over the bridge. As people werebeing evacuated, firefighters tried to pump the water away. Watching the rescue teams, firefightersand everyone who helped really opened my eyes. I never thought about all the hard work they putin; we should all be thankful.

Mariah: Within 3 hours the water was pouring over the sides of the bridge. People who lived therewere immediately evacuated. Because the Environment Agency and police want to keep us all safe,the bridge is no longer available to use due to water damage.

Robert: What a dreadful tragedy! Everybody was in shock when the river cascaded over the wall.Nobody expected so much devastation. Everything was washed away, leaving a terrible aftermath.Sadly the heavy rain keeps on coming.

Rebecca: Sand bags weren’t enough. It was as if the flood water was fighting for Keswick tobecome part of the lake.

Oliver: When I got home my mum told me to take all of the expensive things upstairs. The waterbubbled up through the floor until it was about a foot deep. We stayed in the flooded house for oneday. It was mucky, disgusting water. It sloshed about and our garden was flooded. Now we areliving in a holiday flat until after Christmas.

George: They had to build a dam across the end of my road to stop the houses flooding. We couldnot get out because the dam blocked one end of the road and there was a big puddle at the otherend.

Ruth: The water was up to the door and it came in the house. We had to go up to William’s house.It was about 6cm deep. We had to put the sofas on the table. We had to tear the carpet out becauseit was wrecked.

Jessie: The flood didn’t go in our house but we had to build a dam to stop the water getting in.Lots.

Billy: Jack's dad and my dad made the water go away from our house. They helped to build a dam.I had to come another way to school on Thursday because of another flood. We put a massive pieceof wood in front of the door and my dad had to carry me over it.

Anna: In our house there was lots of water on the roof and it started leaking into the house.

Sonny: A little bit of water came into our house. We got loads of towels and some sandbags to stopany more coming in. We made a little dam with our sand pit.

Stories from Braithwaite Children

Weathering the Storm 2009 — 75CHILDREN’S STORIES CHILDREN’S STORIES


At the Centre we registered people who had been flooded, taking details of family membersaffected, extent of flooding and details of temporary accommodation.People told us how they had been rescued, where they had moved to and how they had lost all theirpossessions. All of this had a profound effect on me. I was struck by how people coped with losingtheir home and security and everything they held dear. Many of those flooded in 2009 had also beenflooded in 2005 and most people agreed that 2009 had been much worse.The help we offered in the centre varied from one situation to the next. We spoke to insurancecompanies and loss adjusters, we contacted councils and the Citizen’s Advice Bureau. We helpedpeople complete application forms for flood relief to meet the hundred and one costs that peoplehadn’t expected and couldn’t afford.We listened to the heartbreaking stories people told us and we marvelled at how people had pulledtogether and helped one another. We made endless cups of tea and coffee and we talked andlistened and advised and sympathised and we also recognised the signs when people had taken asmuch as they could cope with and needed extra support. We challenged officialdom when it wasbeing too bureaucratic. We got angry, we got sad, we laughed a lot and we got close to a lot ofpeople. Above all we hope we helped people get through a very difficult and testing time.

Pat AckredFlood Support Centre

The Flood Support Centre

Photo: Fr. Peter SharrockSkip

AFTERMATH AFTERMATH


United Utilities has been working in consultation with the Environment Agency and Keswick FloodAction Group (KFAG) since 2007 to increase the flood storage available at Thirlmere Reservoir.Together we try to strike the right balance between providing as much flood risk protection as wecan for the people of Keswick whilst maintaining essential drinking water supplies to Keswick andacross North West England, and protecting against drought. We do this by releasing extra water from Thirlmere in normal weather conditions to try and provideadditional capacity in the reservoir to store rain water during heavy storms. Further work on thiswill be carried out in conjunction with KFAG and local people in 2010.In May 2010, United Utilities also started work on a two year £20 million programme to improve thequality of water in Bassenthwaite Lake, address sewer overflows to the River Greta and reduce therisk of sewer flooding in the Greta Grove area.

The projects will include:

• increasing treatment capacity at Keswick Wastewater Treatment Works by more than a third• moving the existing pumping station at Greta Grove to a new site and almost doubling its

capacity• improving sewers in Keswick town centre by installing additional pipe and re-routing some

sewers

Flooding in the Elliott Park area occurs due to a combination of sewerage, surface water drainageand backflows from the River Greta. Surface water flow investigations and flood modelling havenow been completed which gives us a much clearer picture of how these causes interact.

United Utilities’ work will help alleviate the risk of flooding from its own network of sewers and weare also talking to other parties about how they can play their part in alleviating the additional riskfrom their own drains, private systems and the river itself.

Dispelling the myths about Thirlmere

There have been a number of misconceptions about Thirlmere and its role in the November 2009floods over the past few months. Perhaps these facts about the reservoir will help people’sunderstanding.

• There are no “flood sluice gates” at Thirlmere• There were no “emergency releases” from Thirlmere during the flooding in November and water

was not released to “protect the dam”• The water seen coming out of Thirlmere on November 19 was overflow water. All reservoirs have

to overflow when they’re full• So much rain fell in November that even if it had been half empty on November 1, it would still

have overflowed on 19th November• If Thirlmere did not exist, flood flows along St John’s Beck would be higher • Even when full, the reservoir and dam slow down flow rates, reducing the peak flow to St John’s

Beck• Thirlmere supplies water to around 700,000 people in North West England, including the

residents of Keswick and the Borrowdale valley

United Utilities in Keswick

Keswick is a tourist town and had spare accommodation in November. The Tourist Associationworking with accommodation providers were able to find temporary accommodation for floodedhouseholders quickly. Some 41 people were accommodated at the Convention Centre overThursday evening. The Skiddaw Hotel provided accommodation for a similar number. TheConvention Centre was empty by the following Tuesday but some 30 people were at the SkiddawHotel for some days with the last “resident” staying until the end of March.By Friday morning the flood water had subsided except for Elliott Park. An ad hoc Recovery Groupchaired by Andrew Lysser, Town Mayor, met in the Council Chamber. Keswick Flood Action Groupand Lions visited all the flooded properties in the afternoon offering assistance.On Saturday morning pumping of flood water from the Elliott Park area was almost completethough it was too early to offer assistance to residents. In the afternoon Keswick Lions and FloodAction Group were employed by the police manning bridges, which had been closed as aprecaution following the collapse of North Bridge in Workington. Large numbers of United Utilitiespersonnel were involved restoring electricity supply to the flooded property. This process was mademore difficult by the fact that a number of flooded people were difficult to trace and there wasconfusion over the procedure householders had to follow. On Sunday an enormous lorry load of Drisacs arrived in Bell Close Car Park. These were distributedto flooded properties at the rate of one box per household. Many people found them useful forabsorbing flood water in awkward corners.On Monday 23rd November Gold Command in Penrith ended the emergency phase and controlmoved from the Police to the Civil Administration. The County Council took the lead and opened aFlood Support Centre in the Library and also initially in a library van in St Herbert’s Car Park. A jointinitiative between Father Peter Sharrock and Monica Penny led to the opening of a Soup Kitchen inSt Herbert’s Centre. This proved an invaluable asset to the Crosthwaite Road, High Hill area over thenext few weeks for both survivors and workmen. The Recovery Group met twice daily for the first week as it felt its way forward. At one meeting wewere joined by John Sentamu, Archbishop of York. With characteristic candour he pointed out “Myboss brought all this rain.” My wife Carol started a database of flooded properties. Initially this metwith some resistance from the powers that be. However, it remains the best list available and hasbeen used by Cumbria County Council, Allerdale Borough Council and the Red Cross as well asKeswick Rotary, Keswick Lions and Cumbria Community Foundation.Eight days after the flood, the Christmas Lights were switched on by H.R.H. Prince Charles and JuliaBradbury. I was one of a group of volunteers who met Prince Charles informally in Booths café. I was struck by his warmth and concern for the people of Cumbria. He really does think of himselfas an adopted Cumbrian.The Cumbria Community Foundation has provided funds to many households and organisations.In addition both Keswick Rotary and Keswick Lions have provided financial assistance as describedin their stories. Both Keswick Lions and the Flood Action Group continued to help individuals withpractical tasks. For the first couple of weeks skips littered the affected roads as households were cleared of ruinedgoods. Allerdale Borough Council provided efficient removal. Householders were then faced withthe recovery process. Many found insurance companies helpful and were also able to draw on theirexperience of the 2005. Inevitably, some householders found their insurers less helpful than theywould have liked. However, in general, insurers will only insure like for like. This meant thathouseholders who wished to make their properties more resilient were faced with extraexpenditure.Although survivors were quickly rehoused in holiday accommodation this created problems,particularly over Christmas and New Year, when many had to move out because there was aprevious booking on the accommodation. Some had to move a number of times and one lady iscurrently in her eighth temporary home. Six months on many people are back in their homes but anumber still have some time to wait.Just as things are getting back to normal the problem of renewing insurance raises its head. Someinsurance companies are considerate, others quote much larger premiums and excesses evenwhen the householder has spent a considerable sum on resilience measures. We are told that thereis all party agreement on flood insurance and hope that the Parliamentary meetings on floodinsurance, promised for July, will make progress.Looking towards the future, the Environment Agency are about to seek funding for the schemeoutlined in their article and are aiming to hold a public consultation in the near future. UnitedUtilities article explains their work to improve the flood storage potential of Thirlmere and also to

The Aftermath reduce the risk of sewer flooding in the Elliott Park area.This book records the way individuals and a community coped in adversity. We are proud that theway in which the emergency services and volunteer organisations responded together wasrecognised by the Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service Operational Excellence Award. The communityis bouncing back and has been strengthened by the event. It is grateful for the assistance it hasreceived from so many external sources.


AFTERMATH AFTERMATH

On the 19th November 2009, Keswick was subjected to an extreme flood event from the River Gretaand Derwent. Flood defences in Keswick were overtopped by the River Greta causing severeflooding to the High Hill, Crosthwaite, Limepots and Penrith Road areas of Keswick. The flood eventwas very significant with flows reaching 265 cubic metres per second, similar to what was recordedduring the January 2005 flood event. The flood return probability of the event was in the region of1.43 % Annual Exceedence Probability (1 in 70 year event).

The key activities undertaken after the Flood Event

• Structural inspections on flood defence assets• Removal of any trees and debris that posed a flood risk• Removal of gravel deposited during the flood event• Construction works to strengthen and reinforce the existing flood defence line• Review and update the existing hydraulic models with data collected during the flood event

to gain a greater understanding of the flood mechanisms• Liaise and advise with the community to deal with the aftermath of the flooding and assist in

preparation against future events

Environment Agency’s Responseto the November 2009 Flood Event


Keswick Flood Alleviation Scheme

Since 2005 the Environment Agency has been working on promoting a flood alleviation schemewhich would reduce the risk of flooding in Keswick to a 1.33% Annual Exceedence Probability(1 in 75 year event). The proposed scheme would involve raising the existing flood defence wallsand embankments on the River Greta at Crosthwaite Road, High Hill, Southey Hill Trading Estate,The Youth Centre, and Greta Grove. New walls would be constructed along Penrith Road betweenWordsworth Street and Wivel Bridge.It is anticipated that work to construct the Keswick Flood Alleviation Scheme will commence in thesummer of 2011 subject to available funding.

Bench in Fitz Park Photo: Terry Dixon

House collapses into River Greta Photo: Terry Dixon

AFTERMATH Weathering the Storm 2009

weathering the storm - north west flooding resource€¦2 — weathering the storm 2009 weathering...

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