To feel that the South West has been abandoned (long and ranty)

[zeezeek]

My family still live in Cornwall and they have been completely battered by the wind and the rain for weeks now. Last night they had to be evacuated from their house. The main train line down to Cornwall (in fact also half of Devon) is completely destroyed and a lot of prime agricultural land in Somerset is under water.

People are losing their livelihoods and they have been lucky that there have been no loss of life. In a region where there is already high unemployment - the impact on the farming, fishing and tourist industries will just make the situation worse. Freight trains can no longer get down past Exeter.

The EA are effectively blaming the poor buggers who are affected by this and seemingly forgetting that people and homes are also affected. The government doesn't give a shit and the Environment minister didn't even bother taking a pair of wellington boots with him on his photo opp visit. Our future King made silly comments about how a disaster beings people together while his waste of space daughter in law spends taxpayers money jetting off to the Caribbean. Comments in sensible, intelligent newspapers are also blaming people for daring to live on a flood plain (which has never flooded to this extent) and by the sea.

I know that I am BU, but tonight - when my parents are still not allowed home and my brother has had his fishing boat sunk - I am feeling very, very pissed off with the media who seems to be making such a big deal out of a 2 day tube strike - there are buses.

Sorry, but needed to vent. Have nothing against Londoners - I lived there for years.

I understand a lot of livestock is being moved to the nearest cattle market,there are farmers from all over the country collecting fodder and bedding and trucking it down there.I could have cried when I watched those poor farmers on the news,all their fodder and bedding for the year ruined and the cattle up to their hocks in water.If I lived nearer I'd be down there with my trailer helping.

Are the RSPCA helping? I haven't seen or heard anything that indicates that they are,but maybe it's like F&M when they gave no help at all.Although they'll normally come out if the tv cameras are there.

Hester as many people on the levels are animal owners, there are loads of people offering accommodation for animals of all shapes and sizes. The FLAG committee is co-ordinating all offers of help. There is a refugee pony in the field next to me and his owner's chicken's are split between 2 neighbouring farms.

I often get the impression that to some people like some ea people, that some animals are more important than other animals.

Well we are now cut off from the rest of the UK when it comes to rail - no trains past Bristol now.

Hester not I'm not. I just wondered why you thought he had behaved badly. Someone who lives there has posted on this thread saying the locals were pleased to see him.

Yes the RSPCA are helping

Landslip at Crewkerne now so the SW is completely cut off as far as the railways are concerned. God knows how much it will cost to get everything repaired, especially in time for the tourist season to start at Easter - or even more money will be lost. At the moment it is estimated that they are losing £20 million a day.

The wind has been relentless down here today and torrential rain too at times, then a reprieve until more due next week. My parents (and their dogs!) are coming back with me tomorrow and it looks like the insurance company is going to pay up ok for my brother's boat.

Never thought I'd agree with David Cameron - but biblical is the best description for what is happening here.

They could always house the sheep and cattle at the Shepton Mallet showground as a temp measure.

There is a piece on the BBC website showing all the railways that used to exist in the area around Dawlish and were closed by Beacging, although some are now hobby/tourist lines. It would be possible to resurrect one of these railways and by-pass Dawlish. I love the scenery when travelling along that coast but I'm always a bit scared because if anything happened the train would be straight into the sea.

Looks National Coachlines from Bristol to Plymouth/Penzance for me this year

Dapplegrey, he's Duke of Cornwall and owns a lot of Cornish land, but hadn't been further west than Somerset lately. It's nice that Somerset people were pleased to see him, but Cornwall is also suffering, as is Devon.

Its a nightmare isn't it? Hoping this is the last of it for a bit.

Its a nightmare isn't it? Hoping this is the last of it for a bit.

HesterShaw - agree. He's a complete and utter waste of taxpayers' money. Like the rest of his family.

Hester - fair enough

I wish it were the last of it :( lots of uncertainty about the next couple of storms but the met office already have early warnings out for mid week and Friday looks potentially nasty.

Yep - 30ft waves and 60mph winds next weekend too.

Better keep the hatches battened down!

I read this which says dredging can make things worse, do you think it is true?

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/30/dredging-rivers-floods-somerset-levels-david-cameron-farmers

I think he's talking nonsense.

However, what we should be doing is not simply repairing existing infrastructure that has lasted centuries, by dredging etc but should also be looking at what improvements are needed to meet today's needs. There are parts of the river that meander a great deal across the farmland are are crying out for straightening or for a flood relief channel to be cut.

People will doubtless scream about new channels/river straightening, as they wouldn't look terribly pretty but ultimately people have to decide whther to take the necessary steps to retain this large area of the SW as valuable dairy-fariming land or whether you abandon it.

People talk as though farming in this area is unsustainable - which is absolute nonsense. Yes it floods frequesntly, but only for a short time and the community has coped by that bu only buidling on the high land.
This latest 'flooding' is actually the total innundation of a swathe of land where the defenceshave been neglected. And we're surprised it floods?

Hmmm. We are supposed to be going to Cornwall for half term next week - our cottage will be fine as it is up on the cliffs but the nearest towns are Looe and Fowey, both of which have flooded. We want to go because we have been looking forward to it but if the weather is going to be terrible & everything closed because flooded - hmmm. On the other hand would like to support local businesses by going. Anyone around that area with insight?

Local supermarkets are being very generous with food etc. A friend of mine is collecting clothes and toys for children. Families have had to leave everything behind and the kids are getting very bored!

PM me if you're local and have anything or alternatively contact FLAG.

FLAG

Looe and Fowey only flood on high tides generally. Please come to Cornwall at half term! It needs you!

That's not EVERY high tide obv :o

Yeah I know Looe & Fowey don't normally flood, just wondering if we are going to be trapped in the cottage by howling gales & closed businesses all around! Not that it's normally heaving at Feb half term anyway!

Not much open in those places in the winter anyway, as you said.

The weather may well be shit. But it might not.