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191014 | Cornwall has a history of serious floods - and they could get much worse

Cornwall has a history of serious floods - and they could get much worse

More and more floods are expected due to climate change

The flash flood rips through BoscastleThe flash flood rips through Boscastle

Cornwall is prone to flooding and with the consequences of climate change, more flood events are expected to happen.

The county has seen many severe events occur over the centuries.

Cornwall Live has looked back at the most serious flooding incidents.

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We have used data from Cornwall Council's Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment (PFRA), which has a chronology of all of flood-related events until 2010. We have then used our archives from 2010 onwards.

The timeline below shows that a storm and flood on January 19 and 20 destroyed Polperro harbour and Looe was badly damaged.

In June 1958, one person died in Boscastle after the village and Camelford were struck by flash flooding.

Water pours off the front at Coverack after the 2017 flash flood (Image: Peter Wood)

Another person died in September 1976, in Polperro, after severe storms caused flooding across Cornwall.

At the end of 2000, waters flooded the A3058 between St Stephen and St Austell and the A391 at Bugle. Both roads were closed and vehicles were abandoned in the floods.

In 2012, at least four properties were flooded in Polperro which was devastated by floods in 1976 and 1993 (Image: Sean Hernon)

There was obviously the 2004 flood in Boscastle. The same year, people were evacuated from their homes in Looe into the church hall after floods in October.

Five years later, two shops on Victoria Square in Truro were forced to close after 0.3 m of water washed into their premises and the railway station was closed after torrential rain caused the roof to cave in above the ticket office.

Water floods outside Malletts Home Hardware on Victoria Square in Truro ten years ago (Image: Darren Foster)

Part of an isolation ward at Royal Cornwall Hospital was also closed after water seeped through the roof.

In November 2010 In excess of 400 properties were flooded including the St Austell Market and the Eden Project.

Time Line

The worst flood events in Cornwall

  • 19-20 January 1817

    A storm caused coastal flooding affecting a number of communities along the south coast on January 19 and 20, 1817.
    Polperro harbour was destroyed by this storm and Looe was badly damaged.

  • The Great Flood of 16 July 1847

    After an intense rainstorm on Davidstow Moor, the Dunmere Valley, Bodmin, and the whole area below Dunmere Hill was flooded by the River Camel.

    Cornwall Council's document reads: "Dunmere Bridge was washed away as was the new 40 feet (12 m) high railway bridge.

    "At St. Breward, bridges from Gam Bridge to Dunmere were washed away by a wall of water 12 to 18 feet (3.5-5.5 m) above normal along the River Camel. The devastating floods that swept down from Davidstow Moor washed away all but two of the bridges along the River Camel - Wadebridge and Helland being the only survivors."

    This was known as the Great Flood of 16 July 1847.

  • November 1894

    Heavy rainfall led to widespread flooding across Cornwall.

    Many bridges and small buildings were swept away by the waters.

  • November 1954

    On 26 November 1954, heavy rainfall combined with high tides and strong winds resulted in flooding right across Cornwall, Cornwall Council reports.

    "More than 150 properties are thought to have flooded: 80 in Lostwithiel, 38 in Gunnilsake and 12 in Truro.

    "In Mevagissey sea water from 40 foot (12 m) high waves was reported to have cascaded down chimneys.

    "The council depot in Perranporth was reported to be 6 feet (1.8 m) deep in water."

  • June 8, 1957

    A severe thunderstorm caused flooding in Boscastle, Camelford and Wenford.

    Up to 203mm of rain fell, with 140mm of it in two and a half hours.

    Cornwall Council's document reads: "Around 50 properties were flooded at Camelford.

    "This was perhaps the most similar of those documented here to the recent Boscastle event.

    "Evidently there were hail drifts reported of up to 2 feet (0.6 m) deep and although some bridges were destroyed there was no loss of life."

  • June 1958

    Both Boscastle and Camelford were struck again by flash flooding. One person died in Boscastle.

  • July 14, 1965

    Up to 140mm of rain fell in 220 minutes in Wadebridge. The town and Polmorla suffered from fluvial flooding, with numerous properties flooded.

  • February 1974

    There were many reports of flooding that year across the county.

    They were caused by heavy rain and high spring tides.

    Cornwall Council reports that , in Millbrook 37 properties were flooded plus 40 in Par and a further 10 in St Blazey.

  • September 1976

    Severe storms caused flooding across Cornwall.

    The main communities affected included Bude, Wadebridge, Camborne, Pool, Redruth area, St Ives, Penzance, Helston, Falmouth, Truro, St Austell, Par and St Blazey, Lostwithiel and Bodmin.

    In Polperro there was one fatality and 83 properties flooded.

  • End of December 1979 and early January 1980

    At Portreath a further 12 properties were flooded and 60 properties flood in Lostwithiel. In Bolingey 11 properties flooded, 8 properties flooded at Helebridge, 20 in Launceston and 14 at Ladock.

  • January 1988

    Storms and high tides caused flooding at Lerryn, Lostwithiel and Looe.

    On 27 January, a severe thunderstorm over West Cornwall on already saturated ground caused flooding at Perranporth, Redruth and nearby villages, Helston, Constantine, Budock Water, Penryn, Ponsanooth and Perranarworthal, Porth Kea and Calenick, Truro (with significant damage), St Austell and St Blazey.

    15 properties flooded in Helston, 15 in Redruth, 12 in Perranporth and 65 in Truro.

  • October 11, 1988

    Another severe thunderstorm hit mid-Cornwall. This affected St Newlyn East, Bolingey, Perranporth and St Agnes, Chacewater, Calenick and Truro, Pentewan and St Austell.

    In Perranporth 16 homes were flooded, but Truro was most affected with many homes and businesses under floodwater.

  • June 9, 1993

    Torrential rainfall caused major flooding in Helston. The intensity of rainfall measured at RNAS Culdrose recorded 125mm of rain in the 9 hours to 0900 as a thundery low moved north from Biscay, 92mm of this in the 2 hours to 0800.

    Flooding on this day also hit Penzance, Porthleven, St Just and Yeolmbridge.

    On June 12, 1993, there was major damage caused by fluvial and surface water flooding due to severe storms across north east Cornwall.

    Areas affected included Bude and Helebridge, Boyton, North Petherwin, Yeolmbridge and Werrington, Tremail and Tresparrett near Davidstow, Slaughterbridge, Camelford and eight other locations on the Camel between Camelford and Blisland, St Tudy, Helland, Bodmin and area, Sladesbridge and Wadebridge, and eight locations along the River Allen between Delabole and Wadebridge.

    A few days later flooding affected Newquay, Porthleven, Helston and Porkellis, and Goran Haven and Mevagissey, In Helston 50 properties were flooded, 60 were flooded in Porthleven and 19 in Sladebridge. A few days later, 71 properties were flooded in Bude, 7 in Camelford, 20 in Sladesbridge and 8 in Helebridge.

  • December 30, 1993, and January 1, 1994

    Very heavy rainfall resulted in serious fluvial and surface water flooding of some 200 properties in a swathe across Cornwall.

  • December 17 - 25, 1999

    Substantial fluvial flooding occurred between December 17 and 25, 1999, due to sustained heavy rainfall.

    The main problem areas were around Bude, Boscastle, Camelford, around Wadebridge, Bodmin area (where Bodmin Fire Station flooded), Mitchell and Zelah, Mousehole and Heamoor, Budock Water, Perranarworthal, Calenick and Truro, Ladock and Grampound, Pentewan, Par and St Blazey, Lostwithiel, Lerryn and Golant, Herodsfoot, Looe, Seaton, Menheniot, Minions, Newbridge and St Mellion, Tideford and St Germans, Millbrook, Calstock and Gunnislake, Launcestion and Yeolmbridge.

    In Bude 29 properties were flooded by surcharging sewers and 25 by ordinary watercourses. 8 properties flooded at Helebridge, 10 at Marhanchurch and 7 at Lostwithiel.

  • End of October to December 2000

    Sustained rainfall led to fluvial flooding in the eastern parts of the county.

    Affected areas include Bude and Stratton, Boscastle, St Tudy, Sladesbridge and Polmorla, Bodmin, St Just, Ladock, Luxulyan, Lostwithiel, Middle Taphouse, East Looe, Dobwalls, Menheniot and Liskeard, Cremyll, Calstock, Gunnislake and Chillsworthy, Stoke Climsland and Polson Bridge at Launceston.

    On 7 and 8 December 2000 more fluvial and surface water flooding occurred, mainly in Sladesbridge and Pormorla, Bodmin, Perranporth, Praze-an-Beeble, Truro, Veryan, Ladock, Polperro and Pelynt, villages along the East Looe River and Seaton River around Liskeard, Tideford and Saltash and at Gunnislake.

    The following week further flooding occurred in the Portreath Valley, Stithians, Grampound, , Bugle, Lanreath, St Neot, Sheviock, St Mellion, Gunnislake, Launceston and Tamarstone.

    The A3058 between St Stephen and St Austell and the A391 at bugle were both closed with vehicles abandoned in the floods.

  • August 16, 2004

    This is when the well known Boscastle event occurred.

    Though less well documented than for Boscastle, flash floods also hit Crackington Haven at the same time.

    From August 16 to 18, flooding impacted on Bude, Canworthy Water and Ottersham, Slaughterbridge, Camelford and Tintagel, in North East Cornwall, and also Perranporth, Redruth and Portreath, Camborne and Praze-an-Beeble, Hayle, St Erth, Carbis Bay and St Ives, Crowlas, Marazion, Relubbus and Goldsithney, Helston, Mullion, and Penryn in the west of Cornwall.

    In Boscastle 60 properties flooded, 5 in Helebridge and many also flooded in Crackington Haven. At Praze-an-Beeble 9 properties flooded.

    On October 27, 2004, a combination of high tides and severe storms caused extensive damage along the south coast, particularly in Looe (road closures and people evacuated from their homes into the church hall), Fowey and Penzance, but also affected Lamorna, Mousehole and Newlyn, Porthleven, Falmouth, Flushing (40 homes under water), Penryn, Mylor Bridge, Peranarworthal, Devoran and Point, St Mawes, Truro and Tresillian, Goran Haven, Portmellon, Mevagissey and Pentewan, Par, Lostwithiel, Polperro, Seaton and at Kingsand, Torpoint and Saltash.

    In Fowey 32 properties flooded, 50 flooded in Looe and 25 in Penzance.

  • July 2, 2009

    Truro was affected by localised heavy rainfall.

    The railway station was closed after torrential rain caused the roof to cave in above the ticket office.

    Part of an isolation ward at Royal Cornwall Hospital Treliske was also closed after water seeped through the roof.

    Two shops on Victoria Square were forced to close after 0.3 m of water washed into their premises

  • November 17, 2010

    Severe flooding occurred in Mid-Cornwall and especially St Austell Bay area following an overnight storm.

    In excess of 400 properties were flooded including the St Austell Market and the Eden Project.

    Flooding affected St Austell, Par and St Blazey (more then 50 properties), Altarnun, Lostwithiel (40 properties), Mevagissey (100 properties) and Pentewan (15 properties). Many properties were flooded to a depth of 1.5 m.

    There were major concerns over the stability of the historic bridge at Lostwithiel and the A38 and mainline railway in the Glynn Valley had to be closed following a landslip.

  • September 2016

    Intense thunderstorms caused havoc across Cornwall, with Falmouth, Penryn and the Camborne and Redruth areas bearing the brunt of the weather.

    Tesco Extra supermarket in Pool and Tesco Redruth were closed after water flooded in at around 8pm.

    Trewirgie Junior School was hit worse, with water flooding through the walls destroying carpets, displays and furniture.

    In Falmouth, the torrential deluge turned the area around the Prince of Wales Pier into a river.

    The Red Cross Shop on Market Strand was one of several properties flooded, and remained closed for several weeks after extensive damage was caused to the building and stock.

    Around 60 homes in Falmouth were left without power as the storm hit the town.

  • July 18, 2017

    A freak flash flood swept through the Cornish seaside village of Coverack.

    The village on the Lizard peninsula became the centre of a huge rescue and recovery operation after it was engulfed in a terrifying torrent of water.

    There was a sudden thunderstorm in Falmouth Bay and heavy rain began to fall.

    At around 2.30pm, a huge bombardment began of golf ball-sized hailstones.

    It has been reported that as much as an inch of rainfall came down in 15 minutes – rushing off the slopes behind the village and swelling to a tremendous size. Huge waterfalls cascaded over the seawall, houses were completely flooded and the roads were ripped apart by the force of the water.

    Fortunately, firefighters from St Keverne had already been called to a report of flooding of a house near the Paris Hotel, so they were on hand to help save people's lives as the major flood swept through.

    Fortunately, no one was seriously injured but the village was left reeling from the incident. The emergency services were soon rushing towards the village.

    The police, coastguards, firefighters and engineers worked throughout the night to make sure people were safe and restore electricity supplies.

    By the following day, the recovery operation was in full swing with teams of workmen from Cornwall Council, Cormac and South West Water busy at repairs. Around 100 tonnes of debris was cleared from the road on the Wednesday and a further 250 tonnes of material was removed the day after.

    And the community came together to help with dozens of volunteers including locals and holidaymakers, lending a hand to help clear properties.

    Around 50 properties were flooded, including private homes as well as holiday lets.

 

 

via https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/lives-lost-homes-submerg...

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