Hope this is not off topic.
Feel for the people who have suffered so much flooding this time round. We live on the top of a hill in Hemel Hempstead and we got within a 1in of it coming in the front door about 21yrs ago. The driver of a heavy vehicle at the time drove down the pavement past my front gate over public pavement which lowered it full length to the main road, after a terrific storm one night I opened front door to go to work and stepped out into 11in of water with more running down my path, panic wasn't the word, looking around I spotted my old fashioned dustbin, emptied the contents onto the front lawn and started to drag it along getting it about a half full then had to drag it up two steps out over the grassed area to the road making so much noise my neighbour came out to see what was going on and helped. After about 15 dustbins we had reduced the risk by about 2in and were completely nackered. The water was already over the outhouse raised door and pouring in but that floor was 4in lower than the main house floor, quick as a flash I got my club hammer and beat the row of bricks out under the outhouse door then done the same at far end thus allowing the water to run though and out into the back garden which slopes away down hill. Within a few minutes it was coping with the new down pour which now could be seen running along the pavement from the road to the lowest point which just happened to be my front gate. Camera out, pictures sent to council and insurance comp, within a month I had inserted a submerged pump under the front window in catchment tank with enough hose to reach out of the garden, while I awaited (u know who) to make a decision. I then decided to build another raised step at my front gate so said water might bypass, having finished this only days before the council decided to re-lay the path in its entirety, when they got to my gate they wanted to dig out my new step, needless to say the wife phoned me at work, a few words with the workman the step remained and the pump is still in situ, however it's never really been tested. The point of this story is, even living on top of a hill will still not guarantee safety from flooding. I can still remember that God awfull feeling that so many people must be feeling at this moment in time and my heart goes out to each and every one, I / we have got off lightly. Here's hoping the next lot of flood defences actually work for flood victims.
Rha, Roy.
