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Flood Management Scheme – Boscastle

A flood management scheme following the 2004 floods.

Why the Boscastle flood scheme required?

On the 16th August 2004, a devastating flood swept through Boscastle, a small village on the north Cornwall coast.

Very heavy rain fell in storms close to the village, with over 60mm of rainfall in two hours. The ground was already saturated due to above average rainfall during the previous two weeks. Combined with this the drainage basin has many steep slopes and there are areas of impermeable slate that led to rapid run-off. Boscastle is at the confluence (where tributaries meet) of three rivers – Valency, Jordan, and Paradise. About two billion litres of water then rushed down the valley straight into Boscastle within a short space of time causing the rivers to overflow. Additionally, the deluge of water coincided with a high tide.

As the flood happened so quickly local residents had little time to react. Cars were swept out to sea and buildings were badly damaged. Thankfully, no one lost their lives, which is largely due to a huge rescue operation involving helicopters. Million of pounds worth of damage was caused by the flood.

What was the management strategy?

In 2008 a flood management scheme for Boscastle was completed. The solution included both soft and hard engineering strategies.

The Environment Agency has made a considerable investment in flood defences in Boscastle to help prevent a similar flood happening in the future. Working with professional partners, more than £10 million of improvements were carried out. This included widening and deepening the Valency River, and installing a flood culvert to improve flow in the Jordan River.

River Valency Flood Management Scheme

The Met Office and Environment Agency have formed the first of several working partnerships, the Flood Forecasting Centre. Combining expertise in weather forecasting and hydrology has helped to prepare communities for flooding during times of extreme weather.

At the time of the floods, the operational forecast model had a resolution of 12 km, which was too large to be able to represent such a small scale collection of thunderstorms. Since 2004 the Boscastle case was re-run with a higher resolution research model which proved able to resolve the line of thunderstorms with much more accuracy and detail.

What are the social, economic and environmental issues?

Social issues.

The rebuilding projects and construction of flood defences took several years which meant the lives of local people were disrupted for sometime. The risk of flooding has been reduced making Boscastle safer. The defences would not protect against a flood the same size as the one in 2004. The new bridge is not popular with local people as it is out of character compared to the rest of the building.

Economic issues

The risk of flooding has been reduced. Therefore, there is less risk of damage to property and businesses. The flood-defence scheme cost over £4 million. However, the scheme could have been significantly better, though some options were too expensive.

Environmental issues

Biodiversity has improved as have the river habitats. Vegetation in the area is now managed.

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Flooding Case Study: Consequences of Boscastle

Consequences of the boscastle flash flood in 2004.

There were immediate and long-term consequences of the Boscastle flash flood that happened on 16th August, 2004. These consequences included:

Decreased tourism

• The flood happened during the peak season for tourism.
• People think that the flood cost the town £50 million in damage and lost income.

Flood damage

• 58 properties were flooded. 4 of these were destroyed.
• 150 cars were swept away.
• Roads and bridges were destroyed.

Evacuation was difficult

• Evacuation was difficult because the flooding happened so fast.
• 100 people were airlifted to safety.

Environmental pollution

• Environmental pollution happened as a result of about 150 cars being transported by the floodwater into the sea. 30 cars were swept out to sea.
• 1,850 tonnes of flood debris were recovered from the surrounding area.

Illness and injury

• Nobody was seriously injured. Most of the harm was due to stress and mental health.

1 Geography Skills

1.1 Mapping

1.1.1 Map Making

1.1.2 OS Maps

1.1.3 Grid References

1.1.4 Contour Lines

1.1.5 Symbols, Scale and Distance

1.1.6 Directions on Maps

1.1.7 Describing Routes

1.1.8 Map Projections

1.1.9 Aerial & Satellite Images

1.1.10 Using Maps to Make Decisions

1.2 Geographical Information Systems

1.2.1 Geographical Information Systems

1.2.2 How do Geographical Information Systems Work?

1.2.3 Using Geographical Information Systems

1.2.4 End of Topic Test - Geography Skills

2 Geology of the UK

2.1 The UK's Rocks

2.1.1 The UK's Main Rock Types

2.1.2 The UK's Landscape

2.1.3 Using Rocks

2.1.4 Weathering

2.2 Case Study: The Peak District

2.2.1 The Peak District

2.2.2 Limestone Landforms

2.2.3 Quarrying

3 Geography of the World

3.1 Geography of America & Europe

3.1.1 North America

3.1.2 South America

3.1.3 Europe

3.1.4 The European Union

3.1.5 The Continents

3.1.6 The Oceans

3.1.7 Longitude

3.1.8 Latitude

3.1.9 End of Topic Test - Geography of the World

4 Development

4.1 Development

4.1.1 Classifying Development

4.1.3 Evaluation of GDP

4.1.4 The Human Development Index

4.1.5 Population Structure

4.1.6 Developing Countries

4.1.7 Emerging Countries

4.1.8 Developed Countries

4.1.9 Comparing Development

4.2 Uneven Development

4.2.1 Consequences of Uneven Development

4.2.2 Physical Factors Affecting Development

4.2.3 Historic Factors Affecting Development

4.2.4 Human & Social Factors Affecting Development

4.2.5 Breaking Out of the Poverty Cycle

4.3 Case Study: Democratic Republic of Congo

4.3.1 The DRC: An Overview

4.3.2 Political & Social Factors Affecting Development

4.3.3 Environmental Factors Affecting the DRC

4.3.4 The DRC: Aid

4.3.5 The Pros & Cons of Aid in DRC

4.3.6 Top-Down vs Bottom-Up in DRC

4.3.7 The DRC: Comparison with the UK

4.3.8 The DRC: Against Malaria Foundation

4.4 Case Study: Nigeria

4.4.1 The Importance & Development of Nigeria

4.4.2 Nigeria's Relationships with the Rest of the World

4.4.3 Urban Growth in Lagos

4.4.4 Population Growth in Lagos

4.4.5 Factors influencing Nigeria's Growth

4.4.6 Nigeria: Comparison with the UK

5 Weather & Climate

5.1 Weather

5.1.1 Weather & Climate

5.1.2 Components of Weather

5.1.3 Temperature

5.1.4 Sunshine, Humidity & Air Pressure

5.1.5 Cloud Cover

5.1.6 Precipitation

5.1.7 Convectional Precipitation

5.1.8 Frontal Precipitation

5.1.9 Relief or Orographic Precipitation

5.1.10 Wind

5.1.11 Extreme Wind

5.1.12 Recording the Weather

5.1.13 Extreme Weather

5.2 Climate

5.2.1 Climate of the British Isles

5.2.2 Comparing Weather & Climate London

5.2.3 Climate of the Tropical Rainforest

5.2.4 End of Topic Test - Weather & Climate

5.3 Tropical Storms

5.3.1 Formation of Tropical Storms

5.3.2 Features of Tropical Storms

5.3.3 The Structure of Tropical Storms

5.3.4 Tropical Storms Case Study: Katrina Effects

5.3.5 Tropical Storms Case Study: Katrina Responses

6 The World of Work

6.1 Tourism

6.1.1 Landscapes

6.1.2 The Growth of Tourism

6.1.3 Benefits of Tourism

6.1.4 Economic Costs of Tourism

6.1.5 Social, Cultural & Environmental Costs of Tourism

6.1.6 Tourism Case Study: Blackpool

6.1.7 Ecotourism

6.1.8 Tourism Case Study: Kenya

7 Natural Resources

7.1.1 What are Rocks?

7.1.2 Types of Rock

7.1.4 The Rock Cycle - Weathering

7.1.5 The Rock Cycle - Erosion

7.1.6 What is Soil?

7.1.7 Soil Profiles

7.1.8 Water

7.1.9 Global Water Demand

7.2 Fossil Fuels

7.2.1 Introduction to Fossil Fuels

7.2.2 Fossil Fuels

7.2.3 The Global Energy Supply

7.2.5 What is Peak Oil?

7.2.6 End of Topic Test - Natural Resources

8.1 River Processes & Landforms

8.1.1 Overview of Rivers

8.1.2 The Bradshaw Model

8.1.3 Erosion

8.1.4 Sediment Transport

8.1.5 River Deposition

8.1.6 River Profiles: Long Profiles

8.1.7 River Profiles: Cross Profiles

8.1.8 Waterfalls & Gorges

8.1.9 Interlocking Spurs

8.1.10 Meanders

8.1.11 Floodplains

8.1.12 Levees

8.1.13 Case Study: River Tees

8.2 Rivers & Flooding

8.2.1 Flood Risk Factors

8.2.2 Flood Management: Hard Engineering

8.2.3 Flood Management: Soft Engineering

8.2.4 Flooding Case Study: Boscastle

8.2.5 Flooding Case Study: Consequences of Boscastle

8.2.6 Flooding Case Study: Responses to Boscastle

8.2.7 Flooding Case Study: Bangladesh

8.2.8 End of Topic Test - Rivers

8.2.9 Rivers Case Study: The Nile

8.2.10 Rivers Case Study: The Mississippi

9.1 Formation of Coastal Landforms

9.1.1 Weathering

9.1.2 Erosion

9.1.3 Headlands & Bays

9.1.4 Caves, Arches & Stacks

9.1.5 Wave-Cut Platforms & Cliffs

9.1.6 Waves

9.1.7 Longshore Drift

9.1.8 Coastal Deposition

9.1.9 Spits, Bars & Sand Dunes

9.2 Coast Management

9.2.1 Management Strategies for Coastal Erosion

9.2.2 Case Study: The Holderness Coast

9.2.3 Case Study: Lyme Regis

9.2.4 End of Topic Test - Coasts

10 Glaciers

10.1 Overview of Glaciers & How They Work

10.1.1 Distribution of Glaciers

10.1.2 Types of Glaciers

10.1.3 The Last Ice Age

10.1.4 Formation & Movement of Glaciers

10.1.5 Shaping of Landscapes by Glaciers

10.1.6 Glacial Landforms Created by Erosion

10.1.7 Glacial Till & Outwash Plain

10.1.8 Moraines

10.1.9 Drumlins & Erratics

10.1.10 End of Topic Tests - Glaciers

10.1.11 Tourism in Glacial Landscapes

10.1.12 Strategies for Coping with Tourists

10.1.13 Case Study - Lake District: Tourism

10.1.14 Case Study - Lake District: Management

11 Tectonics

11.1 Continental Drift & Plate Tectonics

11.1.1 The Theory of Plate Tectonics

11.1.2 The Structure of the Earth

11.1.3 Tectonic Plates

11.1.4 Plate Margins

11.2 Volcanoes

11.2.1 Volcanoes & Their Products

11.2.2 The Development of Volcanoes

11.2.3 Living Near Volcanoes

11.3 Earthquakes

11.3.1 Overview of Earthquakes

11.3.2 Consequences of Earthquakes

11.3.3 Case Study: Christchurch, New Zealand Earthquake

11.4 Tsunamis

11.4.1 Formation of Tsunamis

11.4.2 Case Study: Japan 2010 Tsunami

11.5 Managing the Risk of Volcanoes & Earthquakes

11.5.1 Coping With Earthquakes & Volcanoes

11.5.2 End of Topic Test - Tectonics

12 Climate Change

12.1 The Causes & Consequences of Climate Change

12.1.1 Evidence for Climate Change

12.1.2 Natural Causes of Climate Change

12.1.3 Human Causes of Climate Change

12.1.4 The Greenhouse Effect

12.1.5 Effects of Climate Change on the Environment

12.1.6 Effects of Climate Change on People

12.1.7 Climate Change Predictions

12.1.8 Uncertainty About Future Climate Change

12.1.9 Mitigating Against Climate Change

12.1.10 Adapting to Climate Change

12.1.11 Case Study: Bangladesh

13 Global Population & Inequality

13.1 Global Populations

13.1.1 World Population

13.1.2 Population Structure

13.1.3 Ageing Populations

13.1.4 Youthful Populations

13.1.5 Population Control

13.1.6 Mexico to USA Migration

13.1.7 End of Topic Test - Development & Population

14 Urbanisation

14.1 Urbanisation

14.1.1 Rural Characterisitcs

14.1.2 Urban Characteristics

14.1.3 Urbanisation Growth

14.1.4 The Land Use Model

14.1.5 Rural-Urban Pull Factors

14.1.6 Rural-Urban Push Factors

14.1.7 The Impacts of Migration

14.1.8 Challenges of Urban Areas in Developed Countries

14.1.9 Challenges of Urban Areas in Developing Countries

14.1.10 Urban Sustainability

14.1.11 Case Study: China's Urbanisation

14.1.12 Major UK Cities

14.1.13 Urbanisation in the UK

14.1.14 End of Topic Test- Urbanisation

14.1.15 End of Topic Test - Urban Issues

15 Ecosystems

15.1 The Major Biomes

15.1.1 Distribution of Major Biomes

15.1.2 What Affects the Distribution of Biomes?

15.1.3 Biome Features: Tropical Forests

15.1.4 Biome Features: Temperate Forests

15.1.5 Biome Features: Tundra

15.1.6 Biome Features: Deserts

15.1.7 Biome Features: Tropical Grasslands

15.1.8 Biome Features: Temperate Grasslands

15.2 Case Study: The Amazon Rainforest

15.2.1 Interdependence of Rainforest Ecosystems

15.2.2 Nutrient Cycling in Tropical Rainforests

15.2.3 Deforestation in the Amazon

15.2.4 Impacts of Deforestation in the Amazon

15.2.5 Protecting the Amazon

15.2.6 Adaptations of Plants to Rainforests

15.2.7 Adaptations of Animals to Rainforests

16 Life in an Emerging Country

16.1 Case Studies

16.1.1 Mumbai: Opportunities

16.1.2 Mumbai: Challenges

17 Analysis of Africa

17.1 Africa

17.1.1 Desert Biomes in Africa

17.1.2 The Semi-Desert Biome

17.1.3 The Savanna Biome

17.1.4 Overview of Tropical Rainforests

17.1.5 Colonisation History

17.1.6 Population Distribution in Africa

17.1.7 Economic Resources in Africa

17.1.8 Urbanisation in Africa

17.1.9 Africa's Location

17.1.10 Physical Geography of Africa

17.1.11 Desertification in Africa

17.1.12 Reducing the Risk of Desertification

17.1.13 Case Study: The Sahara Desert - Opportunities

17.1.14 Case Study: The Sahara Desert - Development

18 Analysis of India

18.1 India - Physical Geography

18.1.1 Geographical Location of India

18.1.2 Physical Geography of India

18.1.3 India's Climate

18.1.4 Natural Disasters in India

18.1.5 Case Study: The Thar Desert

18.1.6 Case Study: The Thar Desert - Challenges

18.2 India - Human Geography

18.2.1 Population Distribution in India

18.2.2 Urabinsation in India

18.2.3 The History of India

18.2.4 Economic Resources in India

19 Analysis of the Middle East

19.1 The Middle East

19.1.1 Physical Geography of the Middle East

19.1.2 Human Geography of the Middle East

19.1.3 Climate Zones in the Middle East

19.1.4 Climate Comparison with the UK

19.1.5 Oil & Natural Gas in the Middle East

19.1.6 Water in the Middle East

19.1.7 Population of the Middle East

19.1.8 Development Case Studies: The UAE

19.1.9 Development Case Studies: Yemen

19.1.10 Supporting Development in Yemen

19.1.11 Connection to the UK

19.1.12 Importance of Oil

19.1.13 Oil & Tourism in the UAE

20 Analysis of Bangladesh

20.1 Bangladesh Physical Geography

20.1.1 Location of Bangladesh

20.1.2 Climate of Bangladesh

20.1.3 Rivers in Bangladesh

20.1.4 Flooding in Bangladesh

20.2 Bangladesh Human Geography

20.2.1 Population Structure in Bangladesh

20.2.2 Urbanisation in Bangladesh

20.2.3 Bangladesh's Economy

20.2.4 Energy & Sustainability in Bangladesh

21 Analysis of Russia

21.1 Russia's Physical Geography

21.1.1 Russia's Climate

21.1.2 Russia's Landscape

21.2 Russia's Human Geography

21.2.1 Population of Russia

21.2.2 Russia's Economy

21.2.3 Energy & Sustainability in Russia

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Flooding Case Study: Boscastle

Flooding Case Study: Responses to Boscastle

3.13 Case Study - Boscastle Floods (2004)

Flash floods occurred in the valleys of the River Valency and the River Jordan on 16th August 2004.

The village of Boscastle is situated:

in a narrow valley with interlocking spurs which acted like a funnel

in a steep valley which encouraged rapid run-off

on a flat flood plain

in an area where the soil is impermeable clay which does not allow much infiltration

185 mm if rain fell in five hours

The soil was saturated from recent rainfall so no more rain could infiltrate

The collision of winds on a very warm day caused the excessive rainfall (the air mass from the south met the air mass from the south-west and converged on Bodmin which led to towering cumulonimbus clouds. The air was very unstable and the clouds were up to 10 km high).

The natural channel of the river had been walled (for the construction of the B3263 and a pedestrian area) which prevented it from adjusting to a variation in the discharge of the water.

The village had been built on a flat flood plain.

There was no flood control system.

Cars, trees and boulders became stuck under the bridge and created a temporary dam which caused the water to build up behind it.

The sewers and drainage systems were old and small in capacity; they broke and the water that was in the, took an overland route.  

50 cars were swept into the harbour.

The bridge was washed away and roads were submerged under 2.75 m of water, making communication difficult.

The sewerage system burst.

For health and safety reasons Boscastle was declared inaccessible. 

The Museum of Withcraft lost 50 per cent of its artefacts.

Four buildings were demolished and 58 flooded and the High Street was badly damaged.

 The visitors' centre, a clothes shop and two gift shops were badly damaged.

The youth hostel was flooded.

People were in shock and there were concern about hypothermia or being swept away.

There was no power in the village for some time (an emergency generator had to be blown in). 

90 per cent of the economy in Boscastle is based on tourism and there were still three weeks of the summer holidays left; twenty accommodation providers were shut.

Visitors whose cars had been washed away were not able to leave.

A speedy, well-co-ordinated and well-resourced rescue operation ensured that remarkably there was no loss of life. Even by the standards of developed countries, this was outstanding and a tribute to Britain's rescue services.

Emergency workers rescued residents and holiday-makers from a 32 km stretch of the north Cornwall coast.

Hundreds were evacuated from homes, rooftops (120 from rooftops), trees and vehicles.

Seven helicopters from the Coastguards, Royal Navy and RAF were used.

People took emergency shelter in The Rectory, which was on high ground. 

The village was cordoned off by building inspectors for the clean-up operation.

People dug out guttering and removed rubble so that the water could flow away.

Sandbagging was used as a form of defence.

People came to see the catastrophe.

Prince Charles and the Deputy Prime Minister at the time, John Prescott, came to see the damage.

There was a church service to give thanks that no one had died.

The repairs were very costly and time consuming.

There was a huge fund-raising effort to help rebuild the village.

Insurance is now costlier in Boscastle. 

Flood Control and Prevention

The Environment Agency carried out a major investigation.

A £2 million grant was given to Boscastle to help with flood prevention.

No more schools or old people's homes are built in the valley.

The Environment Agency removed debris from upstream, which meant there was more room for the water to flow freely under the new bridge.

A flood defence system (building a flood wall, widening the River Jordan, raising car parks, removing bridges and using relief channels) was planned and is now complete. This also included building a high-arched single-span bridge which would not impeded flood water debris.

Boscastle Floods - 10 Years On

Only watch the first 11.07 minutes of the video.

Click here to return to the Home page.

Case Study – Boscastle Floods

Floods devastate village.

On 16 August 2004, a devastating flood swept through the small Cornish village of Boscastle.

Very heavy rain fell in storms close to the village, causing two rivers to burst their banks. About two billion litres of water then rushed down the valley straight into Boscastle.

Residents had little time to react. Cars were swept out to sea, buildings were badly damaged and people had to act quickly to survive. Fortunately, nobody died – thanks largely to a huge rescue operation involving helicopters — but there was millions of pounds worth of damage.

Physical Impacts

Responses to the flooding, what happened to cause this event.

Flooding On the day of the flood, about 75mm of rain fell in two hours — the same amount that normally falls in the whole of August. Huge amounts of water from this sudden downpour flowed into two rivers, the Valency and Jordan (which flows into the Valency just above Boscastle). Both overflowed, and this caused a sudden rush of water to speed down the Valency — which runs through the middle of Boscastle.

Destruction of houses, businesses and gardens Floodwater gushed into houses, shops and pubs. Cars, walls and even bridges were washed away. The church was filled with six feet of mud and water. Trees were uprooted and swept into peoples’ gardens. The weight of water eroded river banks, damaged gardens and pavements.

Human Impacts There was a huge financial cost to the floods. This included:

• the rescue operation – involving helicopters, lifeboats, and the fire service.
• the loss of 50 cars
• damage to homes, businesses and land
• a loss of tourism, a major source of income for the area

The flooding also had several other key impacts on Boscastle and its inhabitants. These included:

• environmental damage to local wildlife habitats
• coastal pollution caused as debris and fuel from cars flowed out to sea.
• long-term disruption to the village, as a major rebuild project had to be carried out.
• long-term stress and anxiety to people traumatised by the incident.
• John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister, and Prince Charles visited members of the emergency services and the local GP surgery, which acted as the emergency centre, in the days following the disaster.
• Prince Charles, who is the Duke of Cornwall, made a large donation to a fund to help rebuild parts of Boscastle.
• The Environment Agency is responsible for warning people about floods and reducing the likelihood of future floods. The Environment Agency has carried a major project to increase flood defences in Boscastle, with the aim of preventing a similar flood happening again.
• We are investing in new ways of predicting heavy rainfall events on a small scale to produce better warnings.

In Pictures

Weather chart

Radar imagery

Fig. 2 shows radar pictures at 12 p.m. (midday)  on 16 August.

The rainfall rate key shows how the colours in the image relate to the rate the rainfall is falling. For example, the red areas indicate that rain is falling at between eight and 16 mm per hour.

A line of very heavy rain starts at about 1 p.m. on the moors close to Boscastle. It remains over the area for about six hours. Rainfall rates of at least 32 mm per hour are being measured.

There is more about  rainfall radar  in the weather section of the Met Office website.

Satellite imagery Fig. 3 shows an animation of satellite pictures from 12 p.m. (midday) to 7 p.m. on 16 August.

The thickest cloud is shown by the brightest white areas on the picture. The pictures show cloud forming over Boscastle at about 1 p.m. and staying there for much of the afternoon.

Further information on other websites BBC News website covering the Boscastle flooding BBC News article – Boscastle one year on

Boscastle 16 August 2004 the day of the flood , 2006, Galvin, 61, 29

Web page reproduced with the kind permission of  the Met Office

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Take 10: Boscastle flood

This revision resource on the Boscastle case study associates key facts with striking black and white images using the principle of dual coding.

The information covers why the village of Boscastle is particularly susceptible to flooding, what caused the floods of August 2004, what the impacts were, and what has been done to mitigate future flooding events. 

Revision tips demonstrate how students can connect one fact to another to create a chain of knowledge. They can cut out and annotate the revision strips or else use them for oral recall practice.

The Word document contains practice exam questions on the causes and impacts of flooding, along with a mark scheme. The PowerPoint includes colour photos that can be used for a starter activity.

Practice exam questions:

Choose from the following questions, using the exam tips and revision notes to help you. Plan your answer below and then write it in your book or on paper.

• Explain the causes of flooding in one location that you have studied. [6]
• Explain the impacts of flooding in one location that you have studied. [6]
• Assess the extent to which human factors caused the flooding at Boscastle . [8]
• ‘Flooding is inevitable when settlements are built close to rivers.’ How far do you agree with this statement? [8]

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Boscastle Case Study

Reena Verma

Boscastle Flood 2004 Case study

Boscastle is in the south west of England as shown on the map to the left. The Boscastle flood occurred on the 16 th  August 2004 in Boscastle in England. Boscastle is the only natural harbour for 20 miles along the Northern Cornwall Coast. The flood took the people of Boscastle by surprise as the village isn’t usually prone to extreme flooding. The village had never experienced such a flood. The location of the village is within the Valency valley, and the Valency is usually a quiet stream which follows a course from the hills to the valley. Because the valley was so steep, it accelerated on the hills as it travelled down to the valley floor. This meant that the water fell extremely quickly down the valley sides. Also, the shape of the valley meant that the rainwater from the surrounding area was getting built up into a relatively narrow space descending towards the valley bottom. This caused an increase in run-off speed, which meant that it couldn't hold enough water to prevent the flooding which occurred. The entire South-West of the country had been beaten by stormy weather over the days leading up to the flood, and as a result the ground was saturated on the day of the flood. The 16th was a very hot day, with clear skies in the morning and very high temperatures for much of the day. The combination of high temperature and the large quantity of unabsorbed surface water, and also moist winds off the sea and the effects of the local relief caused a great deal of moist, warm air to travel upwards quickly. The storm clouds formed very rapidly and soon Boscastle was overshadowed by a menacing storm cloud. By early afternoon, the rain had started, and within a few hours, already 5 inches of rain has fallen on Boscastle. When the flow in the valley was met by the water coming down from the moors through the steep valley, the volume of water in such a small space at once caused the Valency to burst its banks & cause the exceptional level of damage in the village. The diagram above shows the amount of rainfall, where the darkest grey areas show where the most rain had fallen. In the space of one hour, about 3.5 inches of rain had fallen, and this was a very rapid amount of rain in a small scale of time. In the Valency valley, the walls are very steep,  and this caused the water to come down at a higher speed and therefore move quicker to the bottom of the valley.

There were many impacts on Boscastle itself, each being significant to the area. It affected the people, the environment and the economy of Boscastle very much. There were both primary and secondary effects on the people, economy and the environment.

Impact on the local people living in Boscastle who were affected by the flood

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The local people of Boscastle were affected very greatly in many ways. Firstly, p eople couldn’t get out of buildings because of the floodwater and had to seek refuge on the roofs of the buildings and just wait to be rescued. Because of this they were waiting around to be rescued for a large amount of time. Because of this, it meant that people were of risk of developing hypothermia, or being swept away by the flood waters. The dangers of developing hypothermia, shock and being swept away were very high. An estimated amount of 150 people had to be rescued from rooftops, cars or even trees. Secondly, e mergency accommodation had to be set up as people were left homeless for the night. Nearby hotels and guest houses were packed with people who had arrived in Boscastle and had lost their cars, so they were unable to return to their accommodation elsewhere. Some people’s houses were damaged so they could no longer live there, until the wreckage had been cleaned up. Some houses even were in such states that they couldn’t be lived in again. Helicopters were used to rescue people from being stuck. Some houses had been damaged so badly that a lot of basic everyday necessities such as cooking, washing and cleaning could not be done. It was a very hard life- people didn’t even have the basics such as electricity or gas and couldn’t cook or do anything in their houses. Some people even were left without their own possessions including money. Also some couldn’t drink the water as the drinking tap water had been affected and people could’ve caught dangerous diseases like cholera. It was the sewage system which had burst and therefore contaminated the drinking water. The floods also damaged businesses which meant the people were not able to work for a while and people were extremely low on money. Cars were washed away and about 75 cars were destroyed with hundreds being washed away. Fifty cars were damaged beyond repair, fuel from which was spilt into the water and sea. This meant that some people had no means of transport and were unable to travel anywhere. Because of cars, properties and businesses being destroyed, it gave Boscastle a costly expense of insurance to replace and repair them. An increased amount of people had to pay for their car and home insurance in Boscastle. It is estimated that insurance companies paid out about £15 million. Many people were also traumatised and stressed out by this incident and this showed in their mental thinking. People were separated from their families and couldn’t contact each other and this cause great worry as families didn’t know if their own relatives were safe or not.

Here is an example of a business being destroyed. The image below shows the ruins of the witchcraft museum and local shop.

Impacts on the economy of the affected area

The economy suffered greatly as some businesses were destroyed and this caused a great loss. Around £15 million was paid out by insurance companies in order to rebuild peoples businesses and homes. Even though the money was available, it took a very long time and insurance companies were forced to raise the costs of home region in Boscastle. The image on the right shows the helicopter view of the extreme flooding.

Repairs had to be made after the damage. This was extremely costly. Some buildings were beyond repair and the owners had to consider rebuilding it from scratch. The damage not only affected the residents, but also the insurance companies. Now the home insurance in Boscastle is much more costly than before. Boscastle's main industry was tourism. A lot of money was earned through this industry but after the flood, the town wasn’t as big in tourism causing a massive loss. Tourist attractions such as the witchcraft museum were lost and many small businesses went out of business as a result of the flood.  This affected the town very much as many people had lost their businesses and all that money spent in building it previously. Because of there being no tourism in the area, it meant that there wasn’t much income for the area which was a very big problem for the people who relied on tourism to keep the money coming in.  The town had to pay for both the damage and also the aid and help given. Boscastle had to pay for the costs of operating various rescue systems. Overall there was a tremendous impact in terms of financial effects all being negative.

Impacts on the environment of the affected area

The impacts on the environment in Boscastle was very bad. Debris and mud was left everywhere and this had to be cleaned up so that people could get past. Roads were blocked off by the floodwater, making any access difficult except from the air. Even when rescue helicopters arrived, the valley was only big enough for two to operate at any one time. Therefore this took a long time and it was putting lives at risk from the still rising flood waters.  Also the floods saturated the ground which meant that no more water could enter the ground and caused water logging of fields. Because of the sewage system breaking, it meant that drinking water could’ve been contaminated. Many drains were blocked because of the heavy rainfall and this meant that the water carried on overflowing. Because of there being so much water, it water logged the fields which destroyed many crops and vegetation. Property was destroyed by debris such as entire trees and vehicles speeding down the valley at high speed. Buildings were smashed, especially in the main street where the river channel was flowing. The structures of the majority of buildings were badly damaged by the floodwaters. The main sewage system gad burst and damaged much of Boscastle which made Boscastle inaccessible for health and safety reasons.

Personal Response

I think that the Boscastle floods caused a great deal of damage in a few ways. The floods cause a great deal of impact on the people, the economical and the environmental aspects of the area as it affects these heavily. The effects lasted a very long time, not weeks but still are affecting the area years later. A majority of people lost a part of them in many ways through their possessions, the businesses and also their homes. Throughout the flood and after the flood there was a huge financial cost. I think that the flood couldn’t have been prevented completely, but certain aspects could have been done in order to help minimize the effects. Many flood management defences could have been put up such as raised banks and also some emergency drainage ditches put before hand. If these defenses were put up, then maybe the overall damage would be less and also it would give people in the area more time to evacuate. I think that in the place of this flood the emergency services such as the hotels helping and helicopters rescuing people were very helpful. They had the village under control for the rescue and recovery missions and therefore resulted in no deaths. Although the village had no deaths, the helicopters could only go down by two and therefore it made it harder for the people to get rescued. As Boscastle isn’t really prone to usual flooding, this may have been the reason why such defenses weren’t in place. I think that an emergency plan should have been planned before to help the people in the area. To the left is a diagram which shows how Boscastle isn’t usually prone to flooding and also the defenses already in place. I think the areas which are labeled with the extent of extreme flooding should definitely have a flood defense in place.

What factors or activity within or outside the catchment influence the floods?

Boscastle is quite likely to flood in the near future as it is near the coast and some nearby rivers. Due to the heavy rainfall falling in a short period of time the rivers rose beyond their peak. Also because of the shape of the Valency Valley, it will mean that if a flood happens, then water would slope down very quickly.  The Valency Valley makes this dangerous as the valley walls are very steep which tells us that less water will absorb into the ground and more water will rush down the valley at a high speed. This means that the effects of the flood may be much worse.   The lower bridge caused problems as it obstructed water causing the water to burst the banks and overflow more. Another factor influencing the floods were that Boscastle is very steep which forced the air to rise and cool creating rain. The floods all were very destructing due to the coastal winds. As the river is long and thin, this makes it more prone to flooding as it will overflow more easily. This diagram on the left shows how flash floods occur. First of all, the heavy rain falls onto the ground. Then because the rain water cannot soak it runs into the river. The rivers automatically become full and burst into the banks which are how the valleys flood.

How could the impacts of floods be changed in the future?

The impacts of floods could be changed by using different types of flood defences such as embankments, walls, weirs, sluices and pumping stations. Some may only be brought into operation when a high tide or flood is forecast or in progress, an example of this which has taken place is the Thames Barrier in London. There are also soft defences such as wetlands and saltmarshes, which are places which provide space for floodwater and prevent flooding from happening elsewhere. At the same time, this method can benefit wildlife by providing greater habitat. Human activity isn’t really responsible in any way for the flood, but the damage caused by the floods can be recognized partially to several human causes. The first of these causes is the lack of any flood control system. If the form of either raised banks around the river channel or emergency drainage ditches to catch overflowed water had been in place, the effects of the flood would’ve been less and would have given people more time to evacuate. Secondly, the sewer systems in Boscastle were old and had a small capacity which meant that the sudden surge of water broke the system, preventing any controlled drainage from occurring in the village and this meant that the flood water simply took the route overland, causing more damage. Also, structures like bridges were obstructing the course of the river and this increased the spread of the floodwater. Overall if these things were put into place, it would minimize the flooding at the time and also give people more time to evacuate.

Bibliography

• http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/4155818.stm
• http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/education/secondary/students/boscastle/index.html

Document Details

• Word Count 2378
• Page Count 7
• Subject Geography

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AQA A Level Geography - PHYSICAL > ✅C&W Case Study - Boscastle Floods 2004 > Flashcards

✅C&W Case Study - Boscastle Floods 2004 Flashcards

When was the flood

August 2004. Rivers burst Aug 16th

River catchment enviornment

It lies at the mouth of the river Valency, surrounded by steep (flashier hydrograph) Valency valley, which is covered by woodland

Where is Boscastle

Boscastle is a village and fishing port on the north coast of Cornwall, England, in the South-West

Boscastle industry

fishing, tourism, local services

Flood defence?

Very little, had not been flooded in living memory

Physical factors in the flood

Antecedent conditions: heavy rainfall had saturated permeable limestone Small basin- flashier- 30km^2 Round basin- less lag time Steep 50mm rain in 2 hours, burst river banks, water got 10 feet high

Human factors in the flood

Urban impermeable surfaces, more runoff lack of preparation

Helicopters recused 120 from roofs Flood warnings put up

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Boscastle Flood

Subject: Geography

Age range: 11 - 16

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

22 February 2018

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