Author Topic: The great flood  (Read 71472 times)

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Offline Trojan

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The great flood
« on: October 19, 2010, 09:50:25 pm »
Llandudno's North Parade, near the entrance to the pier, was redesigned in 2000, as part of a plan for raising the sea defenses after the catastrophic flooding of June 10 1993.

However, the flood was not caused by the sea but by the inability of the drainage system to cope with 5 1/2 inches of rain which fell in three hours, during high tide.

The new pumping station at West Shore, that had opened a year previously failed, due to flooding of it's electrical system, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Share your memories here:

Some photographic memories:

1. Back gardens of Bridge Road, West Shore from Maesdu Bridge.

2. Trinity Avenue & St Andrews Avenue, West Shore.

3. The Oval area.

4. Aerial view of the Oval from the Great Orme.


Offline Trojan

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Re: The great flood
« Reply #1 on: October 19, 2010, 09:59:58 pm »
Off Trinity Avenue, West Shore. Courtesy of forum member Suepp


Offline Trojan

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Re: The great flood
« Reply #2 on: October 19, 2010, 10:03:22 pm »
The lifeboat station.

Offline Trojan

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Re: The great flood
« Reply #3 on: October 27, 2010, 03:19:16 am »
Denness Place:

Offline Blongb

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Re: The great flood
« Reply #4 on: November 07, 2010, 08:06:07 pm »
Llandudno's North Parade, near the entrance to the pier, was redesigned in 2000, as part of a plan for raising the sea defenses after the catastrophic flooding of June 10 1993.

However, the flood was not caused by the sea but by the inability of the drainage system to cope with 5 1/2 inches of rain which fell in three hours, during high tide.
I think you might have 2 flooding’s mixed up here Trojan. The North Parade one was in August 1999, when a storm centred itself over the Great Orme. The 5½ inches of rain would have had a much better chance of being contained if the old Victorian brick lined storm culvert hadn't had a very large modern concrete plug inserted into it, just in front of Hen Dy Hotel, after some dodgy road repairs had been carried out. Once the flood waters hit the plug it had nowhere to go. The force was so great; it hydraulically pushed North Parade up 6 inches and flooded the cellars of 5 Hotels along that section of North Parade. Trouble was it wasn't just fresh storm water that came up through their toilets but every thing else as well. X:((
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Offline DaveR

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Re: The great flood
« Reply #5 on: November 07, 2010, 08:17:19 pm »
I never heard about the 1999 flood before? I was working on the Pier back in 1993 and the whole area around the Pier entrance was badly flooded,.

Offline Trojan

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Re: The great flood
« Reply #6 on: November 08, 2010, 04:26:38 am »
No, just the "Great Flood"of 1993 blongb.

Offline Ian

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Re: The great flood
« Reply #7 on: November 08, 2010, 08:49:44 am »
blonb: the 1989 flood was caused by the combination of a severe depression creating Northerly storm force winds, the combined effects of which were a marked elevation in the high tide levels and on-shore winds in excess of 80 mph. This caused severe flooding but in Towyn, where the sea wall defences breached and not in Llandudno.

What you describe occurred in the 1993 flood, and was the result simply of a lot of rain. It was in 1993 that the thunderstorm centred on the Orme and the severity of the flooding in the town itself was partly attributed to the design of the marine drive wall, which - lacking escape culverts, simply acted as a gigantic gutter, channelling the water into the town.

I can confirm that, as I was trying to drive to Llys Helig Drive at about 7.00pm. and the torrential water running against me, along with various sizes of boulders, suggested it wasn't the wisest of endeavours.
« Last Edit: November 08, 2010, 09:42:29 am by Ian »
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Offline Nemesis

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Re: The great flood
« Reply #8 on: November 08, 2010, 08:54:36 am »
I never heard about the 1999 flood before? I was working on the Pier back in 1993 and the whole area around the Pier entrance was badly flooded,.

July 2000 was another one, my OH and I were knee high in a stream which came off the Orme during a storm trying to stop it coming through the back of the house. The main sewers were blocked due to a power failure at the pumping station.The grates had backed up, so we'd nowhere to sweep the water except to try and divert it down the side passage and out the front.
We now pester CCBC to keep the drains clear in the back lane and my OH made a barrier for the back gate---- the cars now float round the car park ! ;D
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Offline DaveR

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Re: The great flood
« Reply #9 on: November 08, 2010, 09:53:48 am »
I never heard about the 1999 flood before? I was working on the Pier back in 1993 and the whole area around the Pier entrance was badly flooded,.

July 2000 was another one, my OH and I were knee high in a stream which came off the Orme during a storm trying to stop it coming through the back of the house. The main sewers were blocked due to a power failure at the pumping station.The grates had backed up, so we'd nowhere to sweep the water except to try and divert it down the side passage and out the front.
We now pester CCBC to keep the drains clear in the back lane and my OH made a barrier for the back gate---- the cars now float round the car park ! ;D
The problem is that the Victorian drainage system cannot cope with the very high volumes of water caused by these sudden downpours, which seem to be coming far more frequent. Even when the road drains are kept clean (which isn't always the case), they get overloaded very quickly.

Offline suepp

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Re: The great flood
« Reply #10 on: November 08, 2010, 10:32:02 am »
Off Trinity Avenue, West Shore. Courtesy of forum member Suepp


It's actually the little road at the far end of Jubilee street

Offline Trojan

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Re: The great flood
« Reply #11 on: November 08, 2010, 07:50:20 pm »
Off Trinity Avenue, West Shore. Courtesy of forum member Suepp


It's actually the little road at the far end of Jubilee street

It's not the Albion St end, Thorp St?

Offline Michael

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Re: The great flood
« Reply #12 on: November 08, 2010, 08:09:52 pm »
I've just been reading the various posts on this subject. Firstly, the Great Flood (well, thats a laugh for a start because a post or two later the Towyn flood is mentioned-----now, THAT is the GREAT FLOOD. What Llandudno suffered was a lot of rainwater. Try that mixed with salt, and you will know what a Great Flood is).  But the dates mentioned, firstly 1999, then Ian mentions 1989 although it looks as if he altered this from some other date. Just to have it correct, the GREAT FLOOD (in Towyn) started on February 26th 1990. Written by one of the 36 people who, afterwards, were awarded a certificate to commemorate "outstanding service to the community in their hours of need." I knew I'd get the chance to mention this sooner or later LOL Mike

Offline Trojan

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Re: The great flood
« Reply #13 on: November 08, 2010, 08:24:53 pm »
Everyone, please, read the first thread!

Llandudno's North Parade, near the entrance to the pier, was redesigned in 2000, as part of a plan for raising the sea defenses after the catastrophic flooding of June 10 1993.

 :rage:



« Last Edit: November 08, 2010, 08:54:28 pm by Trojan »

Offline DaveR

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Re: The great flood
« Reply #14 on: November 08, 2010, 08:29:27 pm »
I've just been reading the various posts on this subject. Firstly, the Great Flood (well, thats a laugh for a start because a post or two later the Towyn flood is mentioned-----now, THAT is the GREAT FLOOD. What Llandudno suffered was a lot of rainwater. Try that mixed with salt, and you will know what a Great Flood is).  But the dates mentioned, firstly 1999, then Ian mentions 1989 although it looks as if he altered this from some other date. Just to have it correct, the GREAT FLOOD (in Towyn) started on February 26th 1990. Written by one of the 36 people who, afterwards, were awarded a certificate to commemorate "outstanding service to the community in their hours of need." I knew I'd get the chance to mention this sooner or later LOL Mike
What did you do, Mike?