These of us who stay within the Decrease Lea Valley have skilled some comparatively excessive climate in current months, however in contrast to in earlier centuries this has not precipitated the River Lea to burst its banks and inundate us with water. Historic information present that in bygone years the Decrease Lea Valley was vulnerable to frequent main floods, as a result of character of its panorama and since flooding is a pure prevalence for the River Lea.
Luke Howard. Picture: The Royal Meteorological Society
Luke Howard (1772-1864) the ‘Father of Meteorology’ who lived at Bruce Grove in Tottenham, recorded that in January 1809, following extended heavy snow after which a fast thaw and heavy rain: ‘The River Lea…channels by which it intersects this a part of the nation had been united in a single present above a mile in width which flowed with nice impetuosity and did a lot injury…stuffed to the depth of eight or 9 toes’ and the Decrease Lea Valley was flooded for a month. Once more in Might 1824, Howard writes ‘the marshes nonetheless presenting the looks of a sea, the tops of the bushes showing in locations solely’.
In June 1903, following 59 hours of document rainfall, massive areas of North and East London had been flooded and the Lea Marshes grew to become a lake. Pictures: The Sphere
Flooding in June 1903 on the River Lee Navigation at The Robin Hood Tavern, Spring Hill, Clapton. Picture: The Tatler
The worst flood within the recorded historical past of the Lea Valley occurred in March 1947, below very related situations to the 1809 flood. The winter of 1946/7 was extraordinarily extreme, even freezing the ocean alongside the English coast and steady heavy snow fell and settled in a thick blanket. Round March 12, the snow started to thaw as a consequence of persistent heavy rainfall that couldn’t soak into the frozen floor. The snowmelt precipitated a excessive charge of water run-off and all the primary rivers of the South of England started to rise quickly.
By March 13, the River Lea was measured to be flowing at a charge of 156 cubic metres per second at Lea Bridge, which is half one million tonnes of water (or seven million baths) per hour. The River Lea’s move was 20 occasions its regular stage and the water couldn’t be managed, so widespread flooding started and water ranges didn’t return to regular till March 19.
The River Lea flooded the Metropolitan Water Board’s Lea Bridge Waterworks on March 15, 1947, which shut it down for 9 days, the primary time it had been shut down in its 200-year historical past. The floodwaters contaminated the water filter beds and stopped the water pumps from working, which reduce off the recent water provide for about 1.25 million folks in East and North London. 1,000 tankers distributed 14 million gallons of ingesting water and full water provide was not restored till April 2.
The Lea Bridge Waterworks flooded in March 1947. Picture: Waltham Forest Native Research Library
Land masking an space the dimensions of 4,000 soccer pitches was flooded within the Lea Valley and roads had been flooded all through the Decrease Lea Valley, together with the Lea Bridge Highway, the place flood water reached a depth of 1 metre. A whole bunch of properties had been flooded and lots of residents had been evacuated by boat, whereas others had been left stranded for a number of days. Transport and communications within the Decrease Lea Valley had been critically disrupted for weeks.
The Lee Valley Flood Reduction Channel at Walthamstow. Credit score: Nigel Cox CC BY-SA 2.0
The extent of the floods in 1947 and the post-war plans for urbanisation of the Decrease Lea Valley, prompted the Lee Conservancy Catchment Board to proceed work that had begun earlier than the struggle, on a flood alleviation scheme for the Decrease Lea Valley. The Lee Valley flood aid channel was constructed between 1950 and 1976, utilizing modern building methods to deal with the extent of flooding that occurred in 1947, which was calculated to in all probability happen as soon as each 70 years.
Since completion in 1976, the flood aid channel has been profitable in defending the valley from main flooding, though the channel is repeatedly stuffed or near its capability. Nevertheless, as excessive climate turns into extra frequent with local weather change, the chance of flooding can solely be diminished not fully eradicated.
Stephen Ayers is a member of Waltham Forest Historical past and Heritage Community. He’s additionally a tour information and historic researcher researching the historical past of Walthamstow Wetlands and water provide in East London, the River Lea and the Lea Valley. He’s identified on social media as ‘Wetlands Steve’ and may be adopted on Fb, Twitter and Instagram or through his web site.
