Among all the Brexit and Trump-related propaganda that has bombarded us daily for the last few years, and especially during the last few months, you may have noticed another very worrying piece of news – one that has affected thousands of people across the UK, turning them out of their homes and causing them to lose their personal possessions and livelihoods. This story is a real-life nightmare if you are caught in the middle of it – we’re talking about flooding.
Late last year, much of central and northern England experienced incredibly heavy rainfall, which lead to dramatic flooding, as rivers such as the Severn and Avon burst their banks. The impact was disastrous – towns and villages across Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, the Midlands and Yorkshire were waterlogged and damaged, with properties becoming unliveable and structurally unsound. By 15th November, 145 flood warnings in England were posted by the Environment Agency (gov.uk), for which immediate action was required, and 174 flood alerts were in place, warning of more flooding to come.