Why do we need a flood scheme?
On this page you can view the history of flooding in the Thames Valley, the consequences of flooding, and the impacts of climate change. Much of this information is also discussed in our videos on The Impacts of Flooding(External link) and Thames Valley Flooding and Climate Change(External link).
History of flooding
There has been a long history of flooding in the Thames Valley. The largest recorded flood happened in 1894 when extreme rainfall led to widespread flooding along the River Thames and on many of the rivers that flow into it. This picture shows Botley Road in Oxford. Further downstream along the River Thames, in Kingston, flood water inundated the High Street.
Road flooded in Oxford in 1894. Credit: oxfordhistory.org.uk.
Aerial photo of Reading showing flooding in 1947
In 1968, devastating flooding happened on the River Mole and River Wey, which flow into the Thames, leading to major flooding in Guildford and other parts of Surrey.
Guildford 1968. Credit: GetSurrey
In the Spring of 1998, northern parts of the Thames catchment were badly affected by flooding. The River Cherwell flooded the town centre and railway station at Banbury.
Recent Flooding
More recently, we’ve seen further significant floods in the area. The Autumn of 2000 was the wettest in the UK since records began in 1766 and led to widespread flooding along the River Thames, with the highest flows since 1947. Flooding across large parts of the Thames Valley happened again in 2003.
In July 2007, we saw severe surface water and river flooding across many parts of the country. Nationally, over 55,000 homes and businesses were flooded. Communities including Oxford, Abingdon, and Wokingham along with many others in the Thames Valley were badly affected.
Wokingham 2007
Flooding occurred again in the winters of 2012 to 2013 and 2013 to 2014. Between December 2013 and February 2014, a 10-week sequence of Atlantic storms led to weeks of flooding on the Thames. The total volume of rain that fell during this period was exceptional, over 200% of the seasonal average in parts of the Thames Valley and southeast England. The total volume of water that flowed down the River Thames was greater than in 1947 but was over a longer period. Over 1000 properties were flooded across the Thames Valley.
Between all the major floods listed here, there have been many smaller floods, including 2019 to 2020 where new flood alleviation schemes, like the one on the River Wey at Godalming in Surrey were used for the first time, successfully protecting homes.
Impacts of Flooding
The Impacts of Flooding Video(External link)
Changes to the way that we live mean that the impact of flooding on our homes and businesses is now greater than it was in the past. Services such as gas, electricity and the internet can all be indirectly impacted by flooding.
When flooding takes place, it can cause serious impacts to properties and businesses, destroying belongings and threatening lives. Flooding can cause great disruption by causing our transport links to close. It can also interfere with basic services such as schools and hospitals. Most modern buildings, fixtures and furniture are often more badly damaged than those used in the past. For every property flooded, 15 people are impacted by flooding in other ways. Taking steps to prepare for flooding and knowing what to do in the instance of a flood can make large reductions to damage to homes and possessions.
Often, the effects of flooding are long term and can be very costly, disruptive, and distressing for the individuals and communities involved, with knock-on effects on people’s wellbeing. The mental health impacts of flooding can last for years after flooding has happened. Depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder can affect up to a third of people who have been flooded.
Despite the work taking place to reduce the likelihood and impacts of flooding, the risk of flooding will continue to increase due to climate change, which is bringing more frequent and larger floods. The impact of these is already being seen around the world and here in the UK. We are therefore looking at what we and our partners can do to further manage flood risk from climate change across the whole of the Thames Valley.
Climate Change
With climate change, we are expecting to see more extreme weather, including heavy rainfall. This will lead to larger and more frequent floods. This video uses an animation to help visualise this.
Thames Valley Flooding and Climate Change(External link)
If you are interested in more detail about the data used, view the supporting document(External link).