Title: Protecting your homes : flood alleviation scheme for Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton
Author: Environment Agency Thames Region
Document Type: Monograph
Abstract:
The local area around Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton has a history of flooding, most significantly 1947, when widespread flooding affected over 2000 homes and most recently in 1990. Today the flood risk still exists. Following the amount of development, a flood of the 1947 intensity would now totally devastate major roads and railways. Telephones and other services would be disrupted for days and approximately 5500 properties, homes, shops, businesses and over 12500 people would be affected. The estimated cost of such a flood is over 40 millions but no price can be placed on the sentimental value of lost possessions or the trauma caused by a flood and nothing can compensate for the stress and strain to all those involved. Floods tend to be cyclical in nature and although impossible to predict, the likelihood of similar events can be estimated, Our records show that a flood similar in scale to the 1947 event has a 1 in 56 chance of occurring in any one year. The 1990 flood has a return period of only 6 years; it was not a major flood and yet 500 households were affected. Once the size of the flood risk had been calculated specialist carried out studies of why floods happen, how their affects can be minimised and devise a flood protection scheme.
Publisher: Environment Agency
Publication Date: [after 1996]
Publication Place: Maidenhead
Subject Keywords: Environmental management; Flood control; History; Flood risk management; Rivers; Flood defence structures
Geographic Keywords: Eton (Berkshire); Maidenhead; Windsor (Berkshire); Thames
Extent: n.p. [8]
Permalink: http://www.environmentdata.org/archive/ealit:774
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