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Tewkesbury Floods 2007 Case Study

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The historic town of Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire, UK, faced a catastrophic flooding event in July 2007. This incident, part of a broader pattern of severe floods across the UK during that summer, offers a vital case study for understanding the dynamics of flooding, particularly the intertwining of natural and human-induced factors.

Tewkesbury on the River Severn

The Causes of the 2007 Tewkesbury Floods

The flooding in Tewkesbury was the result of both natural and human factors. The primary natural cause was the extreme and persistent rainfall during the summer, which led to the rivers Severn and Avon converging near Tewkesbury, overflowing their banks. The town’s geographical setting made it inherently susceptible to flooding. Additionally, the surrounding hills accelerated the run-off process, leading to an even greater influx of water into the river systems.

On the human side, the increased urban development in Tewkesbury and its surrounding areas contributed significantly to the flooding. Expanding impermeable surfaces like roads and buildings meant less rainwater could be absorbed into the ground, increasing the volume of run-off. Furthermore, the existing flood defence mechanisms were inadequate for such an extraordinary event. Changes in land use, including agricultural practices in the catchment area, also altered the natural water absorption and drainage patterns.

The Impacts of the Flood

The social impacts of the Tewkesbury floods were profound and multifaceted. Thousands of residents were displaced as over 3,500 homes were evacuated. The health risks posed by the floodwaters were significant, including threats of waterborne diseases and limited access to healthcare facilities due to the inundated infrastructure. The community faced considerable disruption, with schools closing down and local events being cancelled, affecting the town’s social fabric.

Economically, the floods inflicted substantial damage. The cost of damages to properties and infrastructure amounted to millions of pounds, heavily straining financial resources. Local businesses, especially those reliant on tourism , faced severe interruptions, leading to significant economic losses. The flood’s aftermath saw a surge in insurance claims and a need for considerable investment in reconstruction and recovery efforts.

Environmentally, the floods had far-reaching impacts. The local ecosystems experienced significant disruption, affecting both wildlife and plant life. Water pollution levels increased, with run-off from agricultural lands and overflowing sewage systems contaminating the waterways. The severity of the flooding potentially led to long-term changes in the landscape , including alterations in the courses of local rivers.

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233. The Economic, Environmental and Social Impacts of the July 2007 Floods in the Tewkesbury Area

Description.

In this Geography Factsheet you will find: • Impacts of the 2007 floods in Tewkesbury. • The Immediate effects of the flood in Tewkesbury. • The role of government. • Social impacts. • Economic impacts. • Environmental impacts.

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.PDF (pdf) 467.43 KB

Publication Date

September 2008

ISSN / ISBN

ISSN: 1351-5136

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Evaluating the operational resilience of small and medium-sized enterprises to flooding using a computational modelling and simulation approach: a case study of the 2007 flood in Tewkesbury

Affiliations.

• 1 School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 7RU, UK.
• 2 Department of Computer Science, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK.
• 3 School of Civil Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds L62 9JT, UK.
• 4 School of Architecture, Design & Built Environment, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG1 4FQ, UK.
• PMID: 32063170
• PMCID: PMC7061973
• DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2019.0210

The resilience of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to disruptive events is significant as this highly prevalent category of business forms the economic backbone in developed countries. This article provides an overview of the application of a computational modelling and simulation approach to evaluate SMEs' operational resilience to flooding based on combinations of structural and procedural mitigation measures that may be implemented to improve their premises' resistance to flooding and safeguard their business continuity. The approach integrates flood modelling and simulation with agent-based modelling and simulation (ABMS) within a modelled geographical environment. SMEs are modelled as agents based on findings of semi-structured interviews with SMEs that have experienced flooding or are at risk of flooding. In this paper, the ABMS has been applied to a new case study of the major flood event of 2007 in Tewkesbury. Furthermore, to enable an evaluation of the operational resilience of manufacturing SMEs in terms of the relative effectiveness of flood mitigation measures, a new coefficient based on production loss is introduced. Results indicate structural mitigation measures are more effective than procedural measures. While this result is intuitive, the approach provides a means of evaluating the relative effectiveness of combinations of mitigation measures that SMEs may implement to enhance their operational resilience to flooding. This article is part of the theme issue 'Urban flood resilience'.

Keywords: agent-based modelling; flood modelling; resilience; small and medium-sized enterprises.

‘Our town has four rivers – and they’ve all ended up in my house’

Sixteen years after his home in Tewkesbury was last destroyed, a resident recounts his battle against this week's deluge

At the beginning of the week, as the waters in the River Severn began to rise and people in Tewkesbury braced (as we have so many times before) for a great flood, I must admit to feeling quietly confident. 

Our house – a late Georgian terrace sandwiched between the river and the ancient abbey at the southern edge of the old town – was flooded once before in 2007 . Back then, we were entirely unprepared. It had poured with rain for what seemed like weeks but the flood itself happened very suddenly, tumbling through town, not from the river but from the Cotswold Hills above. We had no defences around the house and water came gushing into the kitchen. At its peak, it was about four feet deep. 

Then, we lived on the top floor for six months and spent £60,000 repairing the damage, most of which we eventually got back on insurance. 

In the years since we have got organised. We’ve spent a further £10,000 shoring up the house – we’ve put new walls in, installed floodgates and pumps. We’ve raised everything in the kitchen so that every unit, all white goods and the Aga are all a good few inches above the ground. 

When the waters rose so rapidly on Monday I thought we’d be ok. I took the car and put it in a safer place on higher ground just to be safe, but suspected I was overreacting. 

On Tuesday, the water level appeared to have peaked – the danger had surely passed. We’d had a number of near misses in the 16 years since the last flood. This looked set to be another. 

Then quite suddenly, on Wednesday afternoon, all hell broke loose. 

The floodwater came right up to the gates at the back of the garden and down the road at the front so we were cut off – like a little island surrounded by water. 

My wife, Marion, was trying to shore up the floodgates at the back with sandbags when it gave way under the weight of the water. I was inside when I heard her yell out: “the damned thing’s collapsed!” as water gushed up the garden. 

We have a secondary gate at the backdoor which held it for a bit, but the water was so extensive there was really nothing we could do. Before long, the downstairs was flooded once more. 

We held on for a bit, sheltering upstairs – the electrics downstairs are on a different circuit because of the flood risk, so we could survive up there for a while. We turned the gas off because we were frightened we might get an explosion. When the toilets wouldn’t flush we admitted defeat. The fire service helped us to evacuate. 

I’m 75 and suffer from mobility problems and my wife had a serious cancer operation last year, so neither of us is as fit as we once were. They were brilliant, helping us into the boat and ferrying us up the road. By that point, every house on the terrace was flooded out. 

I checked us in to the one hotel in the town which is on a hill and there we will stay for the foreseeable. 

Everyone has done a marvellous job of helping neighbours. On our street, a nice lad from the local school was shoring up all the fences – he couldn’t have done more for us. And all the authorities we dealt with on the ground were so helpful. 

We do feel rather let down by the environment agency and the local authority, though. You feel they could have predicted this might happen and done more to defend Tewkesbury from such devastation. 

After all, this isn’t a modern phenomenon. Local lore has it that in the 18th century, the vicar rowed around the nave in a rowing boat. 

It seems to me that with the powers that be there is a very vague idea of what a floodplain is. 

Seven years ago, we were told by the local council that money had been made available to produce extra defences. Unfortunately, that seems to have disappeared during the Covid period and the defences never materialised. 

It doesn’t help that while most little towns like ours might have one river running through them, we have four – and they’ve all ended up in my sitting room. 

They tend to flood together though this time the worst offender is the Severn, which is the biggest of the four. 

We haven’t yet returned to the house to survey the damage but we are trying to remain cheerful. We moved anything precious upstairs before the worst of it, though neither of us was strong enough to move furniture. 

It’s tempting to sell up and move, but I fear we would struggle to sell our little house on the floodplain, however pretty it is. Instead, I suspect we will do as we did last time – clean it up and start again. 

In 2007, the insurance company provided us with M&S ready meals to keep us going in the makeshift kitchen we put together in a spare bedroom. 

I don’t think either of us could go through all that again, but we will do our best to make the best of it. 

As told to Eleanor Steafel 

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River flooding - causes and management - Eduqas Flooding case study - Cumbria, 2021

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

Flooding case study - Cumbria, 2021

Cumbria is in North West England. It is the third largest English county by area and is largely rural. Severe flooding took place in 2009 and 2015. The 2015 floods affected around 50,000 homes, causing damage estimated to cost £500 million. After the events of 2015, the council spent £2.6 billion on flood defence schemes to protect the region from future flooding.

Causes of the flooding

In October 2021, a slow-moving weather system caused unusually heavy rainfall across many parts of the UK. Many parts of England and Wales, including Cumbria, experienced widespread flooding. More than a month’s worth of rain (12in or 30cm) fell within Cumbria over a 24-hour period.

Effects of the flooding

• 43 properties were flooded. Over 1400 properties were protected by the flood defences put in place in response to the 2015 flooding.
• Travel disruption took place. Many roads were closed, and some rail services were delayed or cancelled.
• Tourism was affected as hillwalkers were advised to stay off the hills and mountains. It was half-term week for English schools and many families were taking holidays in the area
• Sporting events were affected. Keswick Rugby Club was under water, so the weekend fixtures couldn’t take place. The Original Mountain Marathon event was also cancelled.

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River Severn Flooding Case Study Cause and Effects Part 1 - Eduqas and AQA

Subject: Geography

Age range: 16+

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Last updated

22 February 2018

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Tewkesbury flooding 2007 case study

• Water and rivers
• Created by: max brand
• Created on: 12-04-16 16:26
• As the ground was saturated very little water was infiltrated into the ground
• On the 20th July 2007 there were very heavy downpours in the uk
• There were no flood defences in places.
• 10,000 people were stranded in their cars on the M5
• The summer of 2007 was the wettest
• 53 schools across the county were damaged
• Rainwater ran off the hills and straight into the river channels
• 80% of properties were affected across the county
• Electricity was lost  to 48,000 homes across Gloucestershire for 2 days
• RAF rescue helicopters scrambled to rescue people from roof tops and 529 people were rescued by boat services.
• A temporary satellite doctor's surgery was in place in Tewkesbury for one week
• Environment agency now holds flood prevention classes in the area for possible future floods
• In Tewkesbury 850 families were still living in caravans at Christmas in 2008
• 25,000 sandbags were quickly distributed and 200 tonnes of sand used across the county to reduce flooding
• There was an increase in crime as peoples abandoned homes were robbed and looted
• 34 new flood defences were built by 2008 providing protection to 30,000 homes
• 420 roads were damaged across the county
• The county has set up a free flood-warning scheme and at least 73,000 people have signed up

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