Photo Assignment: Trent Valley Floods 2012

[SaintsFCFan]

Ah, now where do I start? So much information and photos collected of this amazing event.
I shall start at the beginning of when our mighty River Trent became angry and flooded most of the valley. Trent is a Celtic word for "Strong Flood", which with the event I covered is no small wonder it was named so.

This is Torksey Lock moorings before the flood began, river levels were quite normal and apart from bitterly cold (which didn't sit well with me), it was serene scene.

This was the Lock itself facing the River Trent, often called Torksey Cut.
Apart from a bit of debris that the Trent always brings with it, it too was a serene scene.


Torksey Lock and normal water levels.


Why these normal ordinary photos some might say!
Well from here the madness and carnage begins.
Torksey Lock becomes a very dangerous place to be, let alone some fool with a camera recording it like me!

Here we go:
From the Torksey Lock flood gates to the River Trent, the immediate area is well under water.


The lock gates now rendered useless, they are still shut even at the time or writing this due to the River Trent being unnavigable.


Here are the grazing fields next to Torksey Lock.
Apart from a little standing water from normal rainfall, it is basically an open field.


Pretty much the same view as above, but more like a 2 meter sea.


More to follow...

[SaintsFCFan]

Re: Photo Assignment: Trent Valley Floods 2012

In this scene a bank side cottage had the River Trent about 3 meters away from breaching the bank, but the Trent should have been at least 15 meters out of sight in the photo.


And then came carnage, the River Trent breached it's banks and flooded the entire field as you've seen above.
but more importantly it flooded this unfortunate owners cottage. Luckily they weren't in and had moved all valuables upstairs.
But of course what does a stupid person do to get the close up photo... yes, that stupid person being me has to stand on the bank in the flood water
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8360/8...4f3af50e_b.jpg

Here you can see the Trent in full breach and filling up the featured field above very rapidly. It was quite disturbing being so close to the current running that fast though.


The River Trent from here became extremely wild and very dangerous due to the banks being unstable to walk on, over saturated and possibly collapsing at any moment.
But you do what you have to to bring back the best photos you can of what is supposed to be a 1-100 year event. Except it's the second time it's done this in 4 years now.
And Trent Valley itself, it flooded back in 2000. Not exactly a 1-100 year event! It is becoming a much more regular occurrence.

And now Trent Valley is under full flood and getting higher creating a new sea.


More to follow...

[SaintsFCFan]

Re: Photo Assignment: Trent Valley Floods 2012

A little further on is the Trent side village of Marton, it too has very high flood waters.
Normally the Trent is about 20 meters away from where I am stood, it too has brought in lots of debris and looks more like a sea than a river.


This holding on the flood bank has the Trent creeping into it, lots of debris floating to the side.
The river should only be a speck on the far left side, but not as you can see in this.


This is the small holding of Knaith by the Trent, not that you can see where the actual course of the river is any more.
This too became a sea, very dangerous bank under immense pressure. But when you've got to to take a photo... needs must!


More to follow...

Still at Knaith. You can see that the trees line the banks of the Trent, but the river has gone far beyond them threatening to flood the adjacent fields.

[janihudi]

Re: Photo Assignment: Trent Valley Floods 2012

whow,a great report Paul,what a ''come back'',it's something in a human that wants to see this razing water,the power of it,that can sweeps everything away in its way.
do the banks held,or are villages overflooted already?
the banks here are floated too,but didn't lookt at it so far.

[SaintsFCFan]

Re: Photo Assignment: Trent Valley Floods 2012

And now to my home town...

The new flood defences cost £20 million to construct. Many people groaned at the price... not any more!
They raised the height of the flood banks as well a new defence wharf to protect the town.
The water at it's height reached 5.20 meters, only a half meter from it's record flood height which in itself created it's own sea back in 2000.


Even so, it was rising up even the new flood bank height.
If we get more heavy rains up to the spring, then we will be in great trouble.
The spring tides are enormous coupled with the legendary Aegir Tidal Bore which in itself can reach up to 8.00 meters on any given arrival.
This would be a whole other problem and vastly altered view.


This is Trent Bridge which normally you can see the whole bridge footing, some 2 meters blow this height.
the problem as you can see is that the bridge is backing up the water trying to pass through.


Here the opposite side of the bridge looking south towards the other flooded areas featured.
Again very much flooded.


As of this moment the river level is dropping and the danger is lessening to a degree, but only until more heavy rains come again.
Heaven forbid that snow should come... then we are in deep trouble when it thaws.
Then I can bring you an astonishing scene.... we will see!

More to follow....

[SaintsFCFan]

Re: Photo Assignment: Trent Valley Floods 2012

whow,a great report Paul,what a ''come back'',it's something in a human that wants to see this razing water,the power of it,that can sweeps everything away in its way.
do the banks held,or are villages overflooted already?
the banks here are floated too,but didn't lookt at it so far.

Thank you Thijs!
Indeed, everyone is greatly curious to see such a sight. In a word it is every photographers dream... but it's also someone's nightmare.
We just don't know here what the weather has in store for us, weather forecasters try to say it's going to be dry only to be wrong again.
I have many more photos to come, it's getting around to doing it.

[SaintsFCFan]

Re: Photo Assignment: Trent Valley Floods 2012

Here is a video I took of the breach early on.
At this point it was just going over, and of course stupid me had to get as near as I could!

And here it is in full breach.
note that for a change I don't get too close because of the unstable bank.

As I pan around you can see the newly created sea over the bank.

More to follow....

[wherrygirl]

Re: Photo Assignment: Trent Valley Floods 2012

Phew! Must get to bed, so I had a very quick flick through but I'll study all this tomorrow, Paul. Some beautiful photography there, but what a story it tells!

[SaintsFCFan]

Re: Photo Assignment: Trent Valley Floods 2012

Phew! Must get to bed, so I had a very quick flick through but I'll study all this tomorrow, Paul. Some beautiful photography there, but what a story it tells!

Thank you our Ivy! I tried to tie it all together but my mind doesn't always work very clearly these days too well.
Must try better methinks!

[janihudi]

Re: Photo Assignment: Trent Valley Floods 2012

note that for a change I don't get too close because of the unstable bank.

i think that the danger of the unstable bank is gone now because the waterlevel is equal on both sides,so the pressure is also the same at both sides.

[PoloUK]

Re: Photo Assignment: Trent Valley Floods 2012

Hi Paul - great photos. We have the same problem that you describe of the bridges being designed to handle water flow in normal ranges - when it gets too high, the bridges just cause their own problems. Good to see the newer flood defences doing something useful though.

[Seagull]

Re: Photo Assignment: Trent Valley Floods 2012

Paul! Absolutely awesome amazing photography. Some very beautiful images here (I keep returning to #3/3 in particular), but as you say, the beauty and the fascination of nature’s extremes can also be someone’s nightmare. Nevertheless it is important to capture such scenes, and this is also a valuable archive.

So good to have you back –and I kind of feel that when I see you getting into somewhat dicey or daredevil situations to get a photo, I know you must be feeling better and a bit more yourself! …but do take care dear.

[SaintsFCFan]

Re: Photo Assignment: Trent Valley Floods 2012

Hi Paul - great photos. We have the same problem that you describe of the bridges being designed to handle water flow in normal ranges - when it gets too high, the bridges just cause their own problems. Good to see the newer flood defences doing something useful though.

Thank you Mark! While we have been spared the major flooding levels of 2000, I suspect we haven't even started to see nature at it's worst here.
I think that will come in the months ahead.

[SaintsFCFan]

Re: Photo Assignment: Trent Valley Floods 2012

Paul! Absolutely awesome amazing photography. Some very beautiful images here (I keep returning to #3/3 in particular), but as you say, the beauty and the fascination of nature’s extremes can also be someone’s nightmare. Nevertheless it is important to capture such scenes, and this is also a valuable archive.

So good to have you back –and I kind of feel that when I see you getting into somewhat dicey or daredevil situations to get a photo, I know you must be feeling better and a bit more yourself! …but do take care dear.

Thank you Cecelia! I had some luck with getting the photos I must admit, in the right place at the right time.
To be honest, putting myself in dicey situations was quite stupid of me really. It wasn't the brightest thing to do when I consider that I am not capable of extricating myself from dangerous situations due to this long term thing I have.
But I have to say that flirting with dangerous stuff does have an effect on me that brings back a familiar grin!
It's meds to keep me upright and active that makes it possible these days. They aren't nice and make you feel downright awful. That's every day unfortunately.

[wherrygirl]

Re: Photo Assignment: Trent Valley Floods 2012

Paul, your photos leave me nearly (but not quite! ) speechless. It's the combination of superb photography and the power of what is being portrayed that makes the viewer stand stock still. For sheer beauty I love #1.5, the delicate silhouette of trees and that sky, #2.3 with the chimneys and steam against the sky and #3.3 again a silhouette, would make an excellent pair with #1.5 in that exhibition that I'm still waiting to hear about. (nag)
But also, as Thijs has said, somehow the sheer power of angry water is something that draws us all to witness - so long as we ourselves are safe. Yet there again, one look at the cottage in #1.2 makes you shudder.
I have yet to study the videos, but I'm sure that together with your photos it all forms an excellent record of these floods.
When is the big spring Aegir due?