What weather!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cumbria/weather/floods_january_2005/index.shtml

When we woke up Saturday morning we had no power and a tree had bought down our telephone line. Some tiles were missing from the stable, and the wind and rain was still coming down. Because we had no communication with the outside world, we didn’t know how far reaching the storm had been with its damage. The first thing we did was light the fire as the house was getting cold. Although the aga is oil fired, it loses its pressure without electric.

I had made a strategic error on Friday. It had rained all day and it was very heavy rain, I had got wet so often I gave up trying to dry things, putting them all in the washing machine ready to wash and dry Sat morning. The power cut meant I had no dry trousers. So I thought that the animals would not mind my pink pyjama bottoms – with teddy bears on them.

One priority was to move the angoras from the middle stable to the stable with the rabbits in, as Mikes second horse was arriving and was going to take their stable. So as I was out feeding the goats and the rabbits, Mike came down to check things, and I noted his look of suprise at my atire. He was clad head to toe in oilskins. Mike had obviously spoken to some people and he told us of the problems on the road, and the fact that the power was out through the whole of CA8, however we had no idea how bad things were.

We walked to the Co-op, which was in darkness, but open and the lady was taking cash with a torch, and stocked up on bread, cheese, crisps and cider. We also bought some batteries for the radio. On the way back we discussed cancelling the person who was supposed to be viewing the house, as without electric it was all a bit dark. However with no phone line, and the phone box in the village not working, we couldn’t ring anyone, and when we put on the radio, it was very apparent that no one was going to get to us that day. As it transpires it was a shame, as we could have proved that we didn’t flood and that the house stands up well to storms!

We found radio Cumbria and listened with increasing horror and incredibulity (sp?). They were putting out requests for boats, urging people to leave their homes quickly, asking people to check neighbours etc. Houses were up to the first floors in water at this time, which was about 11, and the high tide wasn’t until 3.00. The whole of Carlisle was blocked off, with the bridges at Langwathby and Warick Bridge under risk of being swept away. The river at the north entrance (by the art college) had broken its banks and was over a mile wide. The motorways were shut. We continued listening, and as the water rose things got worse. The mobile networks jammed, the power cut meant that all electronic telephones systems were down, so police, doctors etc were reliant on a single phone line, the police and the fire station were flooded and had to relocate…

Hexham has no drinking water and is likely not to for another few days.

So we came off quite lightly! A couple of tiles came off bridge end barn, but that was the only damage there.

All the animals OK. Had one quail egg yesterday – the first this year! The eggs that I was incubating didn’t hatch – but just as well really as I would have lost them at the weekend as I couldn’t keep them warm.

The link at the top of this page is to the BBC Cumbria site with lots of pics. We went to Carlisle on Sunday and I’ve got some pics to post. Remember – mine were taken after the flood waters had subsided!