Updated 23 Jun 2008

Floods on Dorset Stour - at Bear Mead

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Analysis of Floods

A comparison of circumstances leading to flooding at Bear Mead. Flooding occurs when the rate of flow down the River Stour exceeds about 80 cu metres/sec. This flow is produced by run-off from a catchment area of 1,300 km2. High run-off can occur if the water table is high with steady rain, or low with excessive rain, or combinations in between. An important factor is the height of the water table above the river height ,Z, caused by earlier rainfall. If Z is negative, the ground will absorb rain without runoff. If positive most of the rain will run straight into the river.

Unflooded
Flooded

Flood 6 17 Mar 2008 Z=+49, 24mms in 2 days

  FLOOD-6

Flood 5 16 Jan 2008 Z=+30, 95 mms in 12 days
                                                                                       FLOOD-5

Flood 4 6 Mar 2007 Z=+30, 58 mms in 5 days

FLOOD-4

Flood 3 31 Dec 2006 Z=+30, 54 mms in 3 days
                                                                            FLOOD-3

Flood 2 26 Nov 2006 Z=+10, 120 mms in 10 days
                                                      FLOOD-2

Flood 1 3 Dec 2005 Z=+10, 30 mms in 2 days

                     FLOOD-1