Which areas of Somerset are prone to flooding?
The areas predominantly at risk of flooding include the Levels and Moors, Taunton, Bridgwater, Ilchester and Bruton. In addition, Minehead and the coastal area covering the River Parrett Estuary, Brean, Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge would be affected in the event of coastal flooding.
How many homes were flooded in the Somerset floods?
600 homes
What were the impacts of flooding in the Somerset Levels? Over 600 homes and 6880 hectares of agricultural land were flooded. In addition, a number of villages were cut off after roads were flooded.
Which river flooded in Somerset?
In early 2014 the Somerset Levels and Moors experienced widespread flooding, particularly within the Parrett and Tone river catchments. The Environment Agency estimated there were 100 million cubic metres of floodwater covering an area of 65 square kilometres.
What caused the flood in Somerset?
The extensive floods were caused by a combination of human and physical factors: • A prolonged period of extremely wet weather – in southern England it was the wettest January since records began in 1910 – saturated the ground and led to frequent over-topping of the rivers Tone and Parrett creating a huge lake covering …
Is Weston Super Mare a flood risk?
There are no flood warnings or alerts in this area.
Where are the Somerset Levels?
Somerset, England
The Somerset Levels are a coastal plain and wetland area of Somerset, England, running south from the Mendips to the Blackdown Hills.
Who drained the Somerset Levels?
The Romans tried managing the Levels but did not have as much success as the monks of Glastonbury. Dutch engineers eventually drained them in the 17th century but thankfully not until after King Alfred had used the marshes to escape the Vikings or English history might have taken a different turn.
Where are the Somerset Levels located?
Is Weston Super Mare below sea level?
Weston-Super-Mare
Weston’s height above sea level is in the lower regions of 42 feet (13 metres) meaning it wouldn’t take much more to submerge it completely.
Are the Somerset levels a flood plain?
Is the area not just a flood plain anyway? Well, it’s not unusual for the area to flood. The latest widespread flooding of the Levels is just one in a long record of flood events. Records show more than a third of the area (70,000 acres or 28,000 ha) was submerged in 1919.
Why are the Somerset levels so flat?
Among the lowest, flattest areas in the UK, they were once covered by sea apart from the curious mumps and mounds that rose above them as islands. Somerset is therefore ‘the land of the summer people’ as the rich grazing pastures of the Levels were only accessible in the drier months.
Are Somerset Levels below sea level?
The Somerset Levels span an area of around 250 square miles, or 160,000 acres. The majority of this area is below sea level, making the land vulnerable to both tidal and land-based flooding.
Did Somerset used to be underwater?
Thousands of years ago the area was covered by the sea, but today it’s a landscape of rivers and wetlands – artificially drained, irrigated and modified to allow productive farming.
Is Somerton in the Somerset Levels?
Nestled in the heart of the Somerset Levels lie the beautiful towns of Somerton and Langport.
Why is the sea Brown at Weston-super-Mare?
The estuary’s funnel shape, its tidal range and the underlying geology of rock, gravel and sand produce strong tidal streams and high turbidity, giving the water a notably brown coloration.
How far does the sea go out at Weston-super-Mare?
Weston-Super-Mare beach is long and sandy beach that has a very large tidal range of nearly 15 metres, the second highest rise and fall of tide in the world, which can make the sea nearly 1 mile from the promenade.
Which towns are in the Somerset Levels?
Settlements
- Bridgwater.
- Burnham-on-Sea.
- Street.
- Wells.
- Glastonbury.
- Cheddar.
- Highbridge.
- Huntspill.
Where are the Somerset levels located?
The Somerset Levels and Moors is the largest area of lowland wet grassland and wetland habitats in Britain covering 35,000 hectares. They stretch across the lowlands between the Mendip and Quantock Hills and are what is left of a once wider area of flooded fenland.
Was Somerset underwater?
The Somerset Levels was devastated by severe flooding in the winter of 2013-14, leading to a number of villages and rural settlements being cut off as one of the most picturesque areas of the county was plunged underwater.
What is the highest town in Somerset?
Chard is the most southerly town in Somerset and one of the highest, though at an altitude of 126 m (413 ft) Wiveliscombe is the highest town in the county.
Will Weston Super Mare be underwater?
Climate Central’s map of the county shows how the current coastline will change within a lifetime to wash away settlements near the sea. Levels are predicted to rise by one metre over the next 69 years, flooding Weston-super-Mare, Clevedon and Avonmouth.
Is Somerton worth visiting?
If you want to spend a day relaxing, enjoying lovely food, beautiful scenery and old town charm, Somerton is the place to visit. There are many delights within the town including an old market place with a lovely Buttercross which is floodlit at night.
Where was T4 on the Beach?
Weston-super-Mare
T4 on the Beach was a British one-day music event which was held on the beach at Weston-super-Mare and televised for Channel 4.
Can you swim in the sea at Weston-super-Mare?
The sandy bay of Weston-super-Mare in North Somerset is a popular open water swim spot when the tide is in.
How did they drain the Somerset Levels?
The Sowy River between the River Parrett and King’s Sedgemoor Drain was completed in 1972. The Levels and Moors are now artificially drained by a network of rhynes which are pumped up into “drains”.