Towyn Floods
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?- Created by: Manon Burbidge
- Created on: 17-04-13 13:06
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- Towyn Floods
- Physical Causes
- · Town is situated on low lying land, with some places on or only slightly above sea-level.
- Severe storm on 12th February had weakened the sea wall in the Towyn section.
- gale force dominant north-westerly winds in the Irish Sea with gusts in excess of 70mph and a storm surge of up to 10 metre high waves.
- High spring tides
- When: February 1990
- Human Causes
- 140 year old sea wall was in bad condition and could not withstand the storm surge.
- Failure of 3km embankment protecting Morfa Rhuddlan and the Chester to Holyhead railway line from inundation
- · Development: the building of retirement bungalows along the sea front, requiring culverts to drain surface run-off underground and into the Irish sea.
- Location: Towyn, North Wales, UK.
- Environmental Impacts
- · The consequence of the broken embankment meant flooding of 10km2 of land between Towyn and Kimnel Bay, with the worst affected areas submerged by up to 2 metres.
- · Impact on farmland with the salt water contamination of the soil, meaning it was difficult to grow crops.
- Socio-economic Impacts
- Over 5000 people were affected in Towyn; with the cost of restoring flooded homes and businesses at £30 million.
- 2800 properties were evacuated, 1880 in Towyn. In Kimnel and Pensam 4512 people were affected by flood damage.
- Insurance claims were expected to cost over £20 million, with an estimated £10.5 million needed to build new coastal defences.
- In the first 2 weeks, 3000 people were in temporary accommodation; with still 1000 not able to return home after 3 months.
- Clywd County Council estimated £1.4 million spent on immediate work on property and a further £3 million on structural damage of roads and other infrastructure such as the railway line to make the area fit to live in again.
- Physical Causes
- · The consequence of the broken embankment meant flooding of 10km2 of land between Towyn and Kimnel Bay, with the worst affected areas submerged by up to 2 metres.
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