A shot taken during our tour of the Ice Trail a week ago, with the level of the River Ouse slowly falling and the water almost back within its normal course. The line of poles on the right shows the normal edge of the river.
There should have been an ice sculpture here on Kings Staith, but it had been located elsewhere due to the flood. There was a sign just behind me telling where it could be found.
The flow of the river is much slower as the water level falls compared with its appearance as the water rises, so in this scene it looks almost tranquil.
The height that the water had reached can be seen on the walls of the offices and apartments across the river. The lower part of these buildings is car parking spaces for residents, so easily cleared when a flood threatens.
In the days after this shot, the river receeded into its normal course for a few days, leaving behind a lot of mud and some fallen trees. However, the snow and heavy rain of the past few days has increased the river flow and once again the river has overflowed its banks, and exceeded the forecast flood level. The latest estimate is that the river level will reach about 3.7 metres above normal by 5am tomorrow, so the place where I was stood taking this shot will now be well under water.
I've lost track of how many floods there have been this winter, but it has been quite a few. The problem of flooding does seem to be getting worse. After the severe flood of 2015, Katharine and I went to an Environmet Agency presentation showing option for improving flood prevention measures in York. A graph in the notes provided showed average flood heights for the previous 100 years, and the average during that period had increased by a metre. Since 2015 considerable work has been undertaken to raise the height of flood defences by around a metre. At the moment work is taking place on Clifton and Rawcliffe Ings, close to where we live, to raise the flood banks on that section of the river.
3.7metre is quite an increase and should cause worse flooding, I suppose. But I have to say watching the river when it is wild must be a really beautiful experience.
Thank you all for your lovely comments and favs, they are very much appreciated.
Flood levels have now started to fall, so the clean-up will soon be able to take place, and several fallen trees can be removed. Fortunately the flood defences worked well. It seems strange, but though photos of the floods can look quite dramatic, only small areas of the city and a limited number of properties were affected, and probably over 95% of city life has carried on unaffected by the floods.
Ian
February 12th, 2024
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Thank you all for your lovely comments and favs, they are very much appreciated.
Flood levels have now started to fall, so the clean-up will soon be able to take place, and several fallen trees can be removed. Fortunately the flood defences worked well. It seems strange, but though photos of the floods can look quite dramatic, only small areas of the city and a limited number of properties were affected, and probably over 95% of city life has carried on unaffected by the floods.
Ian