The trouble with the West Coasts of the two biggest islands of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland / Eire James Ware To answer ‘aw schucks West Wales has flooded’ is a little to flippant for me I’m gonna write a little history and reflective ‘interdisciplinary’ article here to deal with this. 1) What happened in summary: Specifically the West Wales Coast like its Irish and Scottish Counterparts had heavy rainfall clouds that were at high enough altitudes (which at this point in the coast has been directed from winds from the South West and North East), shaping in the wind and river flows / tides being discharged and blown back. They made the tops of the Rheidol valley causing the river and possibly the hydroelectric tunnel to overflow Eg. 1 SW Ireland having islands and estuaries in the SW running onto the mainland NE and helped by a mixture of the Republics 26 ‘remaining counties’ from Elizabeth 1sts Irish Parlaiment passing Poynings law grouped into eight ‘groupings’ since the 1990s so that the ancestral byelaws and annomolies were reserved within the Head of states office at Dublin Castle, its consultative bodies and institutions of state, and Biritish Irish Council so as to aid for transition and dialogue with the Northern Irish devolved state should its electorate seek reunification with them in a mixture of the Commonwealth and the European Union, aided in the neighbouring nations and provinces of the United Kingdom Eg 2 NW Scotland had islands formed by volcanic outcrops from when the Atlantic Ocean widened (similar to under the sea floor South of the island of Iceland to the Portugese mid atlantic islands, but to a greater extent and height owing to greater volcanic discharge at that time), since then south of these and between County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man was where the first generation (World War One period) UK and Empire / Commonwealth ammunition and defunct warships were sunk as part of its commitment to the 1919 Versailles treaty. That the fastflowing from high altitude Rheidol and Tyfi valleys had a surge to the Sea through Capel Bangor and Aberystwyth after prolonged rainfall over many weeks. Within the Rheidol Valley there is underground hydroelectric power for the National Grid generated by propelling water down post war constructed tunnels from the Valley away from the ‘visible’ tourist end of the Vale of Rheidol Railway (Devils Punch Bowl) at the opposite side of the Valley. Pylons and other tunnels take electricity cables across the Main UK grid for towns in England and South Wales (including the rest of Dyfed and North into Machynlleth) by having ‘substations / transformers’ to ‘drop current down voltage’ into the local power network (in places still delivered by telephone poles as the rural equivillant to the under street town electricity network of urban areas). However the problem with the Rheidol network is that: 1) Potential age of hydroelectric tunnels leading to blockages within or problems with the control valves so that ‘over surface water’ over runs affect the villages and caravan parks within the valley when the rain clouds reach the top of the valley and the high ground to its east which is the source of many of Ceredigions Rivers. 2) The bad location of said towns and parks by accident so that there isn’t a relief water tunnel in to the Ystwyth Valley where the Rheidol river Gradient slows with reservoir there or small reservoir instead 3) Combined rainfall in the Ystwyth Valley to the South having a combined affect in Aberystwyth town 4) Best Option being turning the University Blaendolau Playing Field into said , tidal ‘lock’ to control flow through the built up part of town within its ‘canal’ levees. 5) This results in difficulty in ever on a different route ever getting a rail line from Aberystwyth through the Hill of Pen Dinas or further East so as to get to Lampeter and Carmarthen and Swansea (Llanbedr, Carmarthen and Abertawe). Similar but smaller and more level streams from Bow Street to Clarach and into the Borth Marsh also restricted the rail line to curve and in the past from having a direct line across the river west of Machynlleth so that a direct rail service from Aberystwyth to Holyhead along the Porthmadog line and across the Lleyn Peninsular and Minai Straights. However lessons from recent line repairs near Porthmadog on its bridge may help with this. It requires Welsh Assembly and Westminster Government co-operation to establish if that is ever possible again and if not focus should be on getting a Ynslas / Aberdovey Bridge and one over the Menai through Lleyn to get a link to Holyhead, Blaenau Festiniog and Llandudno so as to help tourism. An alternative to the rail bridge at that point is that Dovey Junction further inland is rebuilt as triangle junction and at the Northern end of the Borth Marsh canal drain a Ynslas sation is built to allow changing onto a hovercraft to Aberdovey. This second option would complement the artificial Borth / Ynslas peninsular of Sand to allow a stable rail link to Machynlleth and a tourist economy so that that estuary never had a combined Ystwyth / Rheidol effect. This also had flooding behind it on its caravan parks by the hill to its south and the canal drained marsh to its north carrying water away from the windfarms to its SE. So after a period Since Christmas there has been high rainfall in West Wales. This then peaked over a few days prior to the ‘flood’ overlooks the geological, tidal, utility and meteorological trends and expertise that has developed through the United Kingdom and on lifesaving matters and weather and tidal warnings, co-operation through The RNLI, Council of the Isles and on The UK mainland the co-ordination Amber, Silver, Gold centres for responses mentioned on the BBC News 24 Coverage that allowed rescue helicopters and ground based Fire Engines within the Dyfed (Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire) part of the Mid and West Wales Area (the other bit being Powys, Brecon and Radnorshire and depending on the incident, liason with Gwynedd). These fit in with the non devolved and military liased civil contingency networks based on RAF rescue bases across the United Kingdom. Factors: Geological, as modified by Utility Fast Flowing Rheidol passing with low river banks near houses that levels out behind Aberystwyth Town, integrating with hydroelectric plant water discharge under it. Formed like this as part of a mixture of settlement, glaciers and with hard rocks, fissures as they crack due to seasonal temperatures The present town of Aberystwyth has streams of its surrounding hills: one North of Constitution Hill from the Roman Catholic School down under Alexandra Hall which keeps the Hill on the other side dry as on (and under that) is the Welsh Books Council (former and original home of the National Library of Wales) One from above and under the Student Village which flows into the drainage system and discharges via nineteenth century pipe into the Sea, roughly on the South Side of the original Rheidol Valley Lower Delta was Wells under Holy Trinity Hill (behind Yr Cwps) and the high part of town between the old Castle, St Michaels. Problem that South of the University Cricket Grounds that used to get a water supply from the stream that run through Penglais Campus is the original Town Cemetery (now full) West Of Llanbadarn Fawr. There are standard drains and normal housing and roads / paths to its North and South but prior to that the Rheidol did have a part flow on that side of the valley. Hence a question should be, is there a risk post flood of accelerated decomposition requiring action such as cremation of them in the Cyngor Syr Crematoria near Clarach or relocation of the interred to another cemetery. Tidal Risks Town Cemetery Rotting Old College Building of Uni on Sea Front having a basement that’s untreatable but a building that’s essential for the teaching of Adult Ed, Teacher Training and Administration, What is the effect of / from the rest of the square behind it that is predominantly owned by the university? Is there a post flood disease risk next academic year or should there be plans to rebuild it. Residential Insurance and financial advice by Citizens Advice Bureau and residents Banks / Mutual Societies and through Social Services, DWP Social Fund Claims for replacement furniture, carpets etc for those on Income Support, Employment and Support Allowance, State Pension, Pension Credit and related benefits. South Marine Terrace is on the other man made harbour wall with residential properties on top of it. I’m guessing its water and electric could be in as bad if not worse a position as Hen Coleg. Should they and similar be reconstructed now like the Seafront Halls. Can the County Council or Welsh Assembly allow housing associations to bulk buy and adapt, especially where they have basements that might be at risk of subsidence. Said associations can bring into the town extra skilled people to do the rewiring / fusing and plumbing and also roof repairs that with historic housing might risk asbestos or wood. If I’m allowed a bit of realistic cynicism their overheads in terms of accommodation could help either the caravan park replace or the hotels and over the summer the town based halls of residence get theirs checked, thus making sure that the university doesn’t trip the towns collective electricity fusebox. Utility How quickly can Dwr Cymru, SSE, etc assist with a post event power consumption assessment on its infrastructure and in the town so as to coordinate with resident, church and faith communities and the town council to offer support for those who live there Roads and Rails Are they passable and in need of pot hole repair? Meteorological Is there a big enough repair window before Michaelmas Term 2012 in terms of dry weather? Emergency Response After handling the emergency itself is there enough of them who can as part of normal duties ensure that repair materials can get there through mountain roads? This might be a private sector matter given that since previous floods the A470 ring road and road into town and the new Police and Government Offices have been built on dried and gravel raised fields behind the nineteenth century town itself. As such to house a developing county the hill Pen Dinas (with the sharp edged hill where the rain and collapsed sea facing side through erosion has a Wellington Collumn on top (with the statue falling through the middle of it). As such there are commercial enterprises that could be contracted depending on how the Welsh Haulage sector operates and the way that post emergency reconstruction operates. Is equality with Greater London allowed in that response.