Tuesday night was not one of my best for sleep was hard to find. I was wearing one of those blood pressure cuffs that inflated every hour during the night and every half an hour in the day time, It was damnably annoying for I was awoken each time. From my bed I could hear extremely heavy rain falling in torrents, making a drumming noise that only storms do.
So it was of no real surprise to find a pond in our road the following morning. The roadside drain had been supposedly cleared by a contractor who specialises in such things, though some only do the minimum of work and of cosmetic appearance only. The six-inch ceramic pipe which actually carries away the water to a lower level was still blocked and the reliance on seepage only, had created the pond.
A pond covering our southerly entrance.
I had an appointment with the doctor at 10.30am, just a few miles away, no more than a 5 km drive. We took our normal route and were flagged down by a man in a van so Mrs H slowed down to a crawl and just as well that she did for a round the corner a powerful muddy torrent several millimetres deep was crossing the road. Further along we could see a vehicle that had ben swept into the ditch.
Water from the river Barrow over flows fields and roads
The Barrow water flows on...
The impassable state left us no alternative than to return and try another route via the nearby village of Rosenallis. Our journey this time progressed quite well, although there was some ponding that had to be negotiated with care, it was safe enough, until we approached Tinnahinch bridge. There we were met by yet another raging, muddy flow from the river Barrow which had taken charge of the road, forcing us back to Rosenallis.
Tinnahinch Bridge
A hardy Donkey bathes its feet
Trees sucked from the riverbank block the flow
of a normally tranquil river
On the other side of Tinnahinch bridge
Our only alternative now was to drive to Killiegh in Co Offaly, along a road that borders the Clodiagh river whose banks are quite high. I felt this would be our only route to the Doctors even though it was miles out of our way.
It was the right decision as we only met with one small over flow from the embankment and several small road pondings en route.
Finally the damn gadget was removed from my left bicep and the results were given to me.
At Clonaslee
The Clodiagh River it too misbehaved
making a nuisance of it's self.
Unlike the River Barrow which joins the sea at
Waterford, the Clodiagh travels into Co. Ofally and eventually
flows into the River Shannon to join the sea south of Limerick.
The Clodiagh in full flow northwards to Ofally
Near me the flooded pasture of a neighbour.
Back at home. When a few hours later, a friend arrived in his jeep and we went off exploring to take photos of our earlier watery obstructions. Today, Thursday 80 percent of the floods have drained away.
Have you any experiences of being flooded or have a similar journey to ours ?
The waters flowed into Mountmellick a town of about 5,000 people
That journey must have raised your blood pressure Heron. Raging rivers always scare me.
ReplyDeleteI suggested that to Madam Doctor however it was to no avail unfortunately for a 24 hour history was against me :-((
DeleteHi Mel - I tried to get out of Eastbourne once ... about 17 years ago ... didn't make it - alll the rivers had flooded and the Pevensey Levels were awash too ... turned round and went home. Phoned for god-daughter's birthday instead. It's very watery here at the moment - storms and floods meant to be happening ... with full rivers ... I'm on a hill - so am ok!! Hope the blood pressure realigns itself ... cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteHello Hilary!
DeleteYes, it is good to be living on high ground, gives one a sense of security when the rain falls heavily.
The BP will come right once I start a regime of exercise, I lost the habit due to blisters on my feet and then I do confess to be a bit lazy at times too...
My God! buying a boat then Mr. H.
ReplyDeleteHa, ha' ha' ... But then you could do worse !
DeleteNot since the hurricane in October. Your photos are a bit frightening.
ReplyDeleteMy opinion is this: that apart from the heavy rain, the local authority is to blame for its mismanagement of the river banks and lack of foresight in providing proper storm drains.
DeleteGreat photos, although sad to see. We had the same experience one year when we lived in Guilford, Connecticut. And, like you, we were fortunate to have more than one route to travel. Some nearby neighbors were stranded until waters receded and small bridges were rebuilt. I hope all went well with the doctor visit. I can't imagine trying to sleep with a BP cuff on my arm!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the comments Mitchell. The flood waters soon went down to cause problems for others on the lower down.
DeleteFortunately I live in the East of the country and we had much less rain over this side thank goodness. Your photographs give me a good idea of what it was like near you and even looking at them I find it scary/
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting Pat. The amount of rain that fell and the causation had never ever been witnessed in this area, well not within living memory.
DeleteThe next time you hear of anyone poo- poo-ing climate change please refer them to this blog.
Funnily enough, not since I’ve lived in the Netherlands, much of which is below sea level! I do remember being flooded in Dorset back in 1979. I couldn’t get home as a result! Your photos show just how much rain you’ve had, Mel. I sympathise!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your sympathies Val :-)
ReplyDeleteI know these kind of floods when its Spring here with run of ice melts, friend H ... but not in the winter ... so take off your rubber boots and put on your snow boots and come here ... and the meaning of "walking on water" will take on a whole new meaning ... smiles ... Love, cat.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much indeed for the invitation Cat which I shall not be taking you up on, for I saw sufficient snow seven years ago when it was -18C with the white stuff was frozen solid. The memory of that still lives in freshly my mind; indeed even yesterday was 2C and with a breeze that chilled my bones.
DeleteGreat photos Heron. I agree with you that climate change is taking place at an alarming rate and I talk to old farmers who have never seen such violent weather.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment Dave. Yes, the old farmers have never witnessed such extreme weather that we have experienced of late. The county councils need to step up to the mark and manage the river banks by removing the trees back from the margins, plus making note of where the confluences are that causing problems - well it all comes down to foresight in the end, doesn't it ?
DeleteCommiserate on carrying a HP monitor for 24 hours, bought my own a few weeks back, because my hp is seemingly high as well but I don't think we should worry too much, I have pills now (not that they do much good).
DeleteRivers flooding; Well the river that runs through the field at the back has had a bank built either side to stop flooding, but what happens is the drain pipe from the road goes into the river, but when the river is in flood mode, the flap closes so that the road gets flooded. There is too much weather, all pointing to climate change, but how do we change our behaviour patterns I wonder?
Thank you very much for your comments Thelma.
DeleteHBP can be lowered by diet and exercise. Like yourself I have little confidence in the pills that I have been issued with for they are able cause other damage to the system. The doctors refer to them as 'secondary effects' which is incorrect for any medication which alters our state of being is actually a primary effect.
On flooding: there are methods to alleviate to some degree the amount of flood water by the use of storm drains however, it all comes down to innovative design and available cash in the end.