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FLOOD PIX |
On the night of the 12th/13th October 2000, an average of 8" of rain fell on Sussex.
Ground already waterlogged from above average September rainfall could hold no more and rivers burst their banks to cause the worst flooding in living memory. Lewes (where I live) was particularly badly affected as the shopping areas and hundreds of low-lying businesses, offices and houses were engulfed by up to 8 feet of water in a few hours. Every shop in the High street was damaged to some degree.
At Alfriston, the house was flooded for the first time in recorded history although the chalk floor was spared. The shop suffered badly as water poured through air bricks and engulfed all the lower shelving.
(L) The shop to the left suffered severe damage. (C & R) The shop marooned and inaccessible. These pictures were taken as the waters receded! The hedge in both these pictures was so badly affected by the flooding and desiccating winds that followed that it had to be removed.
The yew hedge featured in some of the photographs had been underwater at the peak of the floods and suffered such severe damage that it was removed in 2002.
Looking across to the house and shop from the nearby river bank. A tidemark left in the hedges shows just how high the water had been. It took four days for the water to recede far enough to reach the river bank and take these pictures.
Two views of the herb garden. Nearly every plant in these borders has been lost.
The photographs that I took of the aftermath on the first Friday morning failed to come out and so these pictures were taken the following week when the same thing happened again to a lesser extent following a further 2" of rain.
(L) This seat weighs half a ton and normally sits in an alcove. It was found resting on the landing between the house and the shop. (C) The top of the yew hedge is just visible. This view was taken from the end of the vegetable garden which was itself flooded for the first time ever. (R) The back gate and compost corner. Pumpkins that were ready for Halloween have been turned to mush.
In total, (as at 29th April 2001- when the waters finally drained from the garden) the bottom borders and lawns had been underwater for 7 months bar 11 days. In the period from 13th October to 29th April there were only 25 days when it did not rain. Early fears about damage to the fragile ecosystems were largely unfounded as things started to recover, albeit very slowly, by themselves. I did lose countless bulbs however, and anything from the Mediterranean regions with grey leaves or aromatic foliage just fizzled out. The long Yew hedge was the biggest casualty. Freezing cold winds in the aftermath of the flooding caused severe scorching and roots already severely damaged could not replace water loss due to evaporation. A pair of elm trees also had to be felled. Their root systems had rotted and they were in danger of blowing over once in full leaf.
Apparently, things are going to get better.