Boscastle, England 2004 Flooding in MEDC Case Study

Boscastle, England 2004 Flooding in MEDC Case Study   Causes: ·         Dead trees blocked the river channel ·         Heavy rainfall continuously ·         Remains of Hurricane Alex from Atlantic Ocean ·         Bodmin Moor nearby, impermeable surface = lots of run off Primary effects: ·         58 properties were flooded ·         4 businesses were demolished ·         50 cars were lost ·         People were trapped in buildings Secondary effects: ·         Loss of tourism for the 2004 season ·         People couldn’t return home for 6 months, so there was psychological trauma ·         The flood cost insurance companies £15 million ·         Future house insurance was much higher in the area Immediate responses: ·         Military helicopters airlifted 150 people to safety ·         Emergency centres opened in nearby villages ·         50 people were evacuated to Camelford Leisure centre ·         Fire, police and ambulance services also involved ·         Teams searched for missing people in the harbour Long term responses: ·         The river bed of the River Valency is being widened ·         North Cornwall council gave £4.5 million for flood defences- including moving a bridge which clogged the river ·         Repairing buildings commenced straight away in time for the 2005 tourist season ·         Dead trees were removed from the river   

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