[Gllug] Internet connections

[John Winters]

On Thu, 2006-01-12 at 12:19 +0000, Dan Stevens (IAmAI) wrote:
> > The fastest flow, and the greatest scouring, occurs on the inside of the
> > bend, which is why rivers meander and change their paths during floods.
> 
> True, there is a different risk next to cliffs of erosion and land slides :P
> 
> I thought the government, or someone, had defined 'flood zones'
> throughout the country; in other words, specific areas that are of
> high flood risk.

Indeed they have, and I'm happy to see that they're now more accurate
than they used to be.  The last time I looked the "flood zone" was just
a strip of constant width either side of each waterway, which bore no
relation to the real flood risk.  I've just checked the map for where I
live -

http://maps.environment-agency.gov.uk/wiyby/wiybyController?topic=floodmap&ep=map&lang=_e&x=460651.0&y=188803.0&scale=5&layerGroups=1,&layerGroupToQuery=1&location=OX10%209DT

and the map now reflects the actual flooding characteristics.
Nonetheless, some insurance companies seem only to be interested in
whether you are close to the area which actually floods.  Saying, "But
I'm not *in* the area which floods for the simple reason that the lowest
point of my house is 12 feet higher than the highest point which flood
water has reached, *and* in order to reach that existing high-point the
river has to flood an area over 500m wide, and in order to get any
higher it would have to go at least another 500m in the other direction"
seems to be beyond their ability to comprehend.

Fortunately some more sensible companies just ask whether you are *in*
the areas identified as being at risk of flooding.

> I'd image they would take into account locations that
> although are close to risky rivers, they are unlikely to flood for
> whatever reason (high up on a cliff, for example).

It appears they do now.  They certainly didn't the first time I looked
at that map.

John

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