gcse geography flooding case study

Flooding Case studies GCSE

Cockermouth, UK – Rich Country (MEDC) Picture Causes: Rain A massive downpour of rain (31.4cm), over a 24-hour period triggered the floods that hit Cockermouth and Workington in Cumbria in November 2009

What caused all the rain? The long downpour was caused by a lengthy flow of warm, moist air that came down from the Azores in the mid-Atlantic. This kind of airflow is common in the UK during autumn and winter, and is known as a ‘warm conveyor’. The warmer the air is, the more moisture it can hold.

What else helped to cause the Cumbrian Floods? · The ground was already saturated, so the additional rain flowed as surface run-off straight into the rivers · The steep slopes of the Cumbrian Mountains helped the water to run very rapidly into the rivers · The rivers Derwent and Cocker were already swollen with previous rainfall · Cockermouth is at the confluence of the Derwent and Cocker (i.e. they meet there)

The effects of the flood · Over 1300 homes were flooded and contaminated with sewage · A number of people had to be evacuated, including 50 by helicopter, when the flooding cut off Cockermouth town centre · Many businesses were flooded causing long-term difficulties for the local economy · People were told that they were unlikely to be able to move back into flood-damaged homes for at least a year. The cost of putting right the damage was an average of £28,000 per house · Insurance companies estimated that the final cost of the flood could reach £100 million · Four bridges collapsed and 12 were closed because of flood damage. In Workington, all the bridges were destroyed or so badly damaged that they were declared unsafe – cutting the town in two. People faced a huge round trip to get from one side of the town to the other, using safe bridges · One man died– PC Bill Barker

Responses to the flood · The government provided £1 million to help with the clean-up and repairs and agreed to pay for road and bridge repairs in Cumbria · The Cumbria Flood Recovery Fund was set up to help victims of the flood. It reached £1 million after just 10 days · Network Rail opened a temporary railway station in Workington The ‘Visit Cumbria’ website provided lists of recovery services and trades, and people who could provide emergency accommodation

Management of future floods at Cockermouth £4.4 million pound management scheme New flood defence walls will halt the spread of the river Funding from Government and local contributors River dredged more regularly to deepen the channel New embankments raise the channel height to reduce the likelihood of extra floods New floodgates at the back of houses in Waterloo street

Pakistan, Asia – Poor Country Picture At the end of July 2010 usually heavy monsoon rains in northwest Pakistan caused rivers to flood and burst their banks. The map below shows the huge area of Pakistan affected by flooding. The floodwater slowly moved down the Indus River towards the sea.

Continuing heavy rain hampered the rescue efforts. After visiting Pakistan, the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, said that this disaster was worse than anything he’d ever seen. He described the floods as a slow-moving tsunami.

The effect of the floods · At least 1600 people died · 20 million Pakistanis were affected (over 10% of the population), 6 million needed food aid · Whole villages were swept away, and over 700,000 homes were damaged or destroyed · Hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis were displaced, and many suffered from malnutrition and a lack of clean water · 5000 miles of roads and railways were washed away, along with 1000 bridges · 160,000km2 of land were affected. That’s at least 20% of the country · About 6.5 million acres of crops were washed away in Punjab and Sindh provinces

The responses to the floods · Appeals were immediately launched by international organisation, like the UK’s Disasters Emergency Committee – and the UN – to help Pakistanis hit by the floods · Many charities and aid agencies provided help, including the Red Crescent and Medecins Sans Frontieres · Pakistan’s government also tried to raise money to help the huge number of people affected · But there were complaints that the Pakistan government was slow to respond to the crisis, and that it struggled to cope · Foreign Governments donated millions of dollars, and Saudi Arabia and the USA promised $600 million in flood aid. But many people felt that the richer foreign governments didn’t do enough to help · The UN’s World Food Programme provided crucial food aid. But, by November 2010, they were warning that they might have cut the amount of food handed out, because of a lack of donations from richer countries

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Somerset Levels flooding | AQA GCSE Geography | Weather Hazards 12

Last updated 13 Nov 2023

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This revision video looks at the case study of the Somerset Levels Floods which is a popular case study for the UK extreme weather event. We explore the factors that led to such extensive flooding, the social, economic and environmental impacts of the flooding, along with the immediate and long-term responses used to help the people affected.

It is part of the AQA GCSE Geography course - Paper 1: Unit A - The Challenge of Natural Hazards.

• The video is a revision resource for AQA GCSE Geography, specifically focusing on the Somerset Levels floods.
• The floods occurred in January and February 2014, marking one of the worst incidents of flooding in recent years.
• Somerset is in South West England, characterized by low-lying farmland and wetlands known as the Somerset Levels and Moors.
• The area is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Quantock Hills to the west, and Mendip Hills to the north.
• The floods were triggered by the wettest January on record, with 35 centimeters of rain falling in January and February—10 centimeters more than average.
• High tides clashed with storm surges, blocking fresh water from reaching the sea, and local rivers, not dredged for over 20 years, had reduced capacity.
• Social impacts included over 600 houses flooded, 16 farms evacuated, and villages cut off, leading to significant disruptions in daily life.
• Economic impacts estimated at over £10 million, affecting farming, trade, and infrastructure.
• Environmental impacts involved contaminated floodwaters with sewage and pollutants, requiring extensive cleanup.
• Immediate responses included evacuations, temporary accommodations, and support from volunteers.
• Long-term responses involved a £20 million flood action plan, including dredging rivers, raising road levels, installing flood defenses, and strengthening Riverbanks to mitigate future risks.
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River flooding - causes and management - Eduqas Flood risk - the causes of flooding

Hard engineering management involves using artificial structures, such as dams and embankments. Soft engineering management is a more natural approach to manage flooding, such as floodplain zoning.

Part of Geography Landscape and physical processes

Flood risk - the causes of flooding

Flooding occurs when a river bursts its banks and overflows onto the surrounding land. There are many factors which can cause a flood - often the natural landscape can influence flooding and human interactions can increase the risk.

Causes of flooding

• Prolonged rainfall - if it rains for a long time, the land around a river can become saturated close saturated Unable to contain any more liquid. (it's holding as much water or moisture as can be absorbed). If there is more rainfall it cannot be soaked up, so it runs along the surface this is known as surface run-off close surface run-off The water that runs over the surface of the land when the soil is unable to absorb it. .
• Heavy rainfall - if there is heavy rainfall there is less chance of it being soaked up by the soil ( infiltration close infiltration Water that soaks into the ground. ) so it runs off into the river. The faster the water reaches the river, the more likely it will flood. Water travelling over the surface (surface runoff) will reach a river quicker than water travelling through the ground (through flow and groundwater flow).
• Relief - a steep valley is more likely to flood than a flatter valley because the rainfall will run off into the river more quickly.
• Geology - permeable rocks close permeable rock A type of rock which allows water to pass through its joints and cracks, eg limestone. allow water to pass through pores and cracks, whereas impermeable rocks close impermeable rock Rock which does not allow water to pass through it, eg granite. do not. If a valley is made up of impermeable rocks, there is a higher chance of flooding as there is an increase in surface run-off.
• Vegetation - trees and plants absorb water, this is known as interception close interception When trees and plants stop water from reaching the surface. . Lots of vegetation reduces flood risk. Sometimes people cut down trees ( deforestation close deforestation The cutting down of trees and forests to allow a different land use. ). This will increase the flood risk, as the water will not be intercepted and more will flow into the river.
• Urban land use - when an area surrounding a river is built on, it increases the amount of tarmac and concrete, which are impermeable surfaces. Drains and sewers take water directly and quickly to the river which increases the flood risk.

Effects of flooding

Floods can cause damage to homes and possessions as well as disruption to communications. However, flooding can also have more positive impacts. Flooding deposits fine silt close silt Fertile sand-sized particles found in the lower course of a river. Also known as alluvium. (alluvium) onto the floodplain, making it very fertile and excellent for farming.

Low-income countries close low income country (LIC) Based on the World Bank's income classifications, a LIC has a gross national income (GNI per capita) of $1,045 or lower. (LICs) are usually affected more than High-income countries close high income country (HIC) A country with a gross national income per capita above US $12,735 (according to the World Bank) such as the Netherlands and the UK. (HICs) by the impacts of flooding. LICs often do not have the resources to prevent flooding or deal with its aftermath. More people rely on agriculture in LICs and fertile floodplains are attractive places to live and so have high population densities.

More guides on this topic

• Coastal processes - Eduqas
• Coastal landforms - erosion and deposition - Eduqas
• Managing coastal hazards - Eduqas
• River processes - Eduqas
• River landforms - Eduqas

Related links

• Video of Tewkesbury flooding

Morpeth Floods

A case study of a flood management scheme in the UK  - The Morpeth Floods Morpeth is an ancient market town situated in a loop of the river Wansbeck in the northeast of England about 15 miles north of Newcastle upon Tyne and 12 miles west from the North Sea. Following a flood in 1963, a flood defence scheme was established. Flood walls were erected on the north bank to protect the main business district. Housing properties at Middle Greens on the south bank were also protected by flood walls. When the River Wansbeck swelled on the 6th and 7th September 2008 (see photo below by Tzdelski via Wikimedia Commons), the floodwater simply flowed over the top of the defences, which were not high enough to hold back the volume of water. This resulted in a new flood defence scheme being required.

Causes of the 2008 Floods The flood of 2008 was estimated to have been a 1 in 115 year event. It was caused by; 1. Prolonged rainfall - The Environment Agency recorded a HUGE 150 millimetres of precipitation falling in the Wansbeck catchment between Friday 5 September and Saturday 6 September.  2. The River Wansbeck Valley is narrow and steep and as a consequence has exaggerated amounts of surface runoff. 3. The soil was already saturated as a result of the wet summer, the effect of surface runoff was greatly enhanced. 4. Increased urbanisation since the 1960s in Morpeth meant that most water falling on the town would have drained directly to the river channel. 5. Other tests investigating the catchment lag time (time lapse between the mid point of storm rainfall and peak river level) indicate that the Wansbeck has a LAG time of only 8 hours. This means that any water falling in the catchment area would have been rapidly converted into channel flow by surface runoff and to a lesser extent by throughflow. This resulted in a peak water level of 3.99 metres recorded in the river channel, the biggest flow ever recorded in the Wansbeck.

Social Impacts During 6 September 2008, more than 400 residents were evacuated.  Shelter was provided in the Town Hall, King Edward VI High School and County Hall. An error made by the Environment Agency's warning system meant that 198 properties in the Middle Greens area of the town did not receive a flood warning. Fire fighters, ambulance crews, the RAF, the RNLI and the British Red Cross were among the emergency services involved in rescue and recovery operations over the weekend. Many residents had to be forced from their homes, and lived in caravans or with relatives as rebuilding took place.

Economic Impacts 995 properties in Morpeth town centre were directly affected by the flood water. Early estimates suggested that damages could be over £10 million, but the Journal Newspaper later claimed it was £40 million. On Sunday 7 September, Morpeth Lions Club and the Red Cross launched the Morpeth Flood Disaster Fund and by Wednesday 10 September had raised over £20,000. Environmental At the peak of the flood, Morpeth High Street (Bridge Street) was under 60 centimetres (2.0 ft) of water. Not since 1963 had the main street been flooded. The library suffered severe structural damage due to the heavy debris transported by the river. Such was the extent of the damage that structural engineers were required to test its safety. Houses were full of mud and sewage.

THE NEW FLOOD MANAGEMENT SCHEME

The social, economic and environmental issues involved with the flood management scheme. This flood management scheme has many issues, which can be viewed as social, economic, and environmental.  Overall, the scheme cost £27 million pounds, a massive sum of money to protect residents in a small town in the North of England.  The flood walls were also raised to a height of 1.8m, which obscures the view of the river for many residents and which intrudes in the natural landscape.  The walls are also a barrier to some forms of wildlife.  The culvert clearance is a good thing, as this provides areas with faster flowing drains for some fish and birds, and the reservoir will reduce the flood risk significantly. 

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Banbury Flooding Case Study

Why does it need protecting.

• It has a history of large floods
• Floods in the past have shut down the town's railway station and local roads
• In 1998 the cost of the flood was £12.5 million
• 150 homes and business have been affected

Flood management in Banbury:

• The A361 has been raised
• Floodwall built around motorsport company Prodrive
• New pumping stations to transfer rainwater 
• Flow control structures called the Hardwick flow control structure and the Huscote flow control structure (they control the amount of water in the River Cherwell )
• A Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) habitat with ponds, trees and hedgerows
• Embankment made from soil and is 4.5m high
• The borrow area. It's where the soil for the embankment came from and is now a small reservoir that stores water that otherwise would have caused the river to burst its bank.

Costs and benefits:

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Banbury Flood Management Scheme

Banbury is a historic market town located in Oxfordshire, England. It is situated on the banks of the River Cherwell (a tributary of the River Thames), near the northeastern edge of the Cotswolds. Banbury is approximately 64 miles (103 kilometres) northwest of London and 22 miles (35 kilometres) north of Oxford, the county town of Oxfordshire.

Why was the Banbury flood management scheme required?

Banbury has been affected by flooding of the River Cherwell numerous times. The 1998 flood led to the closure of the railway station and caused £12.5 million in damage. There was further flooding in 2007.

What is the Banbury flood management strategy?

In 2012, an innovative project was completed to construct a flood storage reservoir north of the town at an investment of £18.5 million. The scheme involved building a 3-kilometre-long and 4.5-metre-high embankment, paralleling the M40 motorway, to form a 3 million cubic meters storage basin. The purpose of the reservoir is to regulate the flow of surplus rainwater into the river, using specially engineered outlets to discharge the water slowly. When heavy rainfall occurs, the surplus water accumulates in the storage reservoir. This water is then gradually released into the River Cherwell over the following days, mitigating any sudden influx that could potentially escalate the town’s flood risk.

The key features of the scheme included:

• Raising the A361
• Constructing a floodwall around motorsport company Prodrive
• Constructing new pumping stations to transfer water

Banbury Flood Control Structure

• A biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) habitat with ponds, trees and hedgerows
• Constructing 4.5m high embankments using soil taken from the borrow area, which is now a small reservoir used for storing water that would otherwise have caused the River Cherwell to flood

What issues resulted from the scheme?

Social issues

• The A361 is no longer affected by flooding, reducing transport disruption for local people.
• The new green areas and footpaths have improved the quality of life for local people.
• Reduced anxiety in local communities as the risk of flooding has been reduced.

Economic issues

• The cost of the scheme was £18.5 million.
• The benefits are estimated at over £100 million.
• 441 houses and 73 commercial properties are protected from flooding.
• Property values have increased as they are no longer at risk of flooding.

Environmental issues

• Around 100,000 tonnes of earth were required to make the embankment resulting in some habitat destruction.
• The Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) has resulted in planting trees and hedgerows and constructing ponds.
• The BAP has created new ponds, trees and hedgerow habitats.
• Part of the floodplain will be left to flood if river levels get too high.
• The reservoir provides a temporary habitat for waterbirds.
• The concrete apertures are unnatural in the landscape .

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