The
Unofficial WebsiteThe Rotherham Flood
You must forgive my partisanship here in calling this the Rotherham Flood since in June/July 2007 many parts of Yorkshire as well as large sections of the Midlands were inundated in the worst flood there has been for quite some time. However I'm just looking at the bits of Rotherham that were affected.
Following one of the wettest Mays on record there were torrential rains towards the end of June 2007. Floodwaters swept down the rivers Dearne, Don and Rother, overwhelmed the flood defenses and caused devastation in the low-lying river valleys or washlands. Homes and businesses were flooded in Wath, Swinton, Kilnhurst, Parkgate, Eastwood, Whiston, Masbrough, Templeborough, Canklow, Catcliffe and the centre of town by the bus station was under several feet of water. The railway station was completely flooded and all the electrics damaged. The dam at Ulley cracked under the pressure and there was the fear that, if it gave way, water and debris would crash down the valley onto the M1 motorway and the electric substation near Brinsworth. A small fortune was spent pumping water out of the reservoir and into the fields to prevent this happening.
July 2008 – Repair work from the floods is still ongoing. There are still people who have not yet managed to move back into their homes. Some businesses took months to repair the flood damage and reopen and others have gone to the wall. Ulley Dam is going to cost a small fortune and take a couple of years to repair.
Visit offsite The Rotherham Floods for more images.