Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Weather
Original poster

Whaley Bridge dam collapse

178 replies

OhYouBadBadKitten · 01/08/2019 15:38

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-49189955

shit.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
8
RedToothBrush · 02/08/2019 07:25

Richard Parry, chief executive of the Canal and River Trust, which runs the reservoir, warned last night that it could be “at least 24 hours” until they can rule out the dam collapsing.

“We clearly don’t know the nature of the failure, we’ve not had the opportunity to examine it, but we’re operating in a very precautionary way with the other agencies.

“Our first priority is to draw down the water and it’s very important that we do keep everyone out of the area until that is done.

“It will be at least 24 hours, it could be longer, it really depends on how much progress we can make overnight and into tomorrow morning.”

Catmint · 02/08/2019 07:28

Thoughts are with all fellow Derbyshire people affected.

SistemaAddict · 02/08/2019 07:34

The chinnock is dropping aggregate to prevent any more water entering the reservoir by diverting the course. I'm not sure where it will go instead though.

mpsw · 02/08/2019 07:41

Thanks, I didn't know the dam owners had called in specialist engineering assets (rather than the sort of thing I was wondering about yesterday). I hadn't realised the Royal Engineers expertise in this was so highly regarded in by civilian civil engineers (I did know that they have experience in securing water supplies, so I'm now wondering why it didn't occur to me in the first place)

I'm really hoping that as the dam survived the night, and that the rain forecast has eased, that it's going to be OK even though t is clearly still concerning

mpsw · 02/08/2019 07:45

"The chinnock is dropping aggregate to prevent any more water entering the reservoir by diverting the course. I'm not sure where it will go instead though"

Any other watercourses in the area - principally the already-swollen Goyt. The descriptions I've heard suggest serious flood risks ellsewhere along that river, and this will add to that (why I was wondering about need for sandbagging, and I suppose other emergency flood defence construction)

TapasForTwo · 02/08/2019 07:47

I remember it well Frouby
The summer of 2007 was the wettest I can ever remember. Meadowhall under water. The M1 was closed making getting to work very difficult. Colleagues in Catcliffe being evacuated in the middle of the night.

We live near one of the trans Pennine routes. As they have suspended trains through the Hope Valley it is going to be busier where I live.

Flowers to everyone affected.

Unescorted · 02/08/2019 07:54

Bercows the water is being diverted into the Goyt (past yours I guess from your previous posts) Hopefully the rain stays away long enough for them to get the levels below the damage without flooding the houses in FV and NM.

Looking at the number of us in the area we could have our own mini meet.

Frouby · 02/08/2019 07:57

It was awful wasn't it Tapas. I had to walk home from Rotherham town centre as the floods started. No buses, traffic was absolutely gridlocked because of various routes being flooded. Had to wade through a subway up to my waist in filthy water. My absolute arsehole of a boss wouldn't believe there was a serious problem until about 2pm so we stayed open until it was dangerous. Tescos had already flooded by the time he let us go.

Karma did pay out though, it took him about 5 hours to get home, if he had let us go earlier he would have missed the worst of it as they evacuated Meadowhall.

My poor sisters were sofa surfing with 5 dcs between them for about 3 days I think. They lived in Treeton which luckily wasn't flooded but Catcliffe was decimated.

I think it's something we will see more of sadly. Flooding and then failure of reservoirs and dams. Some of them are 100 years old and built when the surrounding landscape was very different and with the change in weather patterns it puts an enormous amount of pressure on them.

SistemaAddict · 02/08/2019 07:58

We are going to have a walk down to Marple Bridge later and see what the Goyt is like there and check the canal levels. I'll post pictures later on.

SalrycLuxx · 02/08/2019 08:11

I’ve asked elsewhere as well - but do t we have rules against building at the base of a dam?. Some of those houses look scarily close.

Hope it holds. It’s going to take a lot of chinook flights though.

picklemepopcorn · 02/08/2019 08:11

My in laws are in chinley. They look pretty much trapped, on the map.

RedToothBrush · 02/08/2019 08:14

I’ve asked elsewhere as well - but do t we have rules against building at the base of a dam?. Some of those houses look scarily close.

We didn't have planning laws in 1838 when the dam was built.

SalrycLuxx · 02/08/2019 08:16

I was thinking more about the very clean modern looking houses at the base.

After watching Evan Almighty I had though we wouldn’t build anymore at the base of ageing infrastructure that held back millions of tonnes of water.

SalrycLuxx · 02/08/2019 08:17

Of course they may just be clean and old.

Unescorted · 02/08/2019 09:06

Planning is always a balance - in the High Peak we have steep sided valleys which means most development takes place in the narrow ribbons of the valley. You can see on the map that all the railways, roads and houses are in the valley floors. The planners have to decide what the risk of flooding is - do they say we aren't going to allow building in the flood zone due to the risk that the dams may fail and restrict housing and economic growth or do they say it hasn't happened for 200 years & there is no evidence that it will do so in the future and have a thriving town.

picklemepopcorn · 02/08/2019 09:27

Is the A6 closed because it is low lying, or to enable movement of emergency services and keep spare people out of the area?

HouseOfToys · 02/08/2019 09:48

Pickle I think the A6 closure is a combo of in the flood zone and keeping extra people out.

BeerMyHold · 02/08/2019 09:57

My DH was out last night ferrying sand for the Chinook to deliver to the dam. He went about 8pm and got back about 3am.

He said there was quite a bit of panic. All quiet at first then a phone call and all hands on deck.

Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 02/08/2019 10:07

He must be exhausted Beer.

OP posts:
picklemepopcorn · 02/08/2019 10:16

Thanks Toys. Can't get through to PiLs on the phone- I'm not sure where they would have gone...
They'll be fine, but don't think they can get to their usual Friday morning shop.

BeerMyHold · 02/08/2019 10:21

@picklemepopcorn I think most people will be heading to Chapel as all is ok here.

picklemepopcorn · 02/08/2019 10:23

Lovely. Thank you.

BeerMyHold · 02/08/2019 10:27

@OhYouBadBadKitten he went to normal work about 9am, bit later than usual but he seemed ok.
A lot of wagon drivers couldn't help as they where up to their allowed hours.

Original poster
OhYouBadBadKitten · 02/08/2019 10:35

He is one of the unsung heroes Beer.

OP posts:
TinselAngel · 02/08/2019 10:37

The planners have to decide what the risk of flooding is -

Which of course, they decide by consulting the Environment Agency. (These day's at least).