Thanks to Mel who runs the jewel factory for this picture of the River Ock from a bedroom window in Meadowside at lunchtime. Mel says a fireman neighbour has a stake stuck near the growing river, and the river was still rising at 7 PM.
The Ock Valley Walk was completely under water when we went for our evening walk, and we did not attempt it.
Out on the Ladygrove Estate, the rising water can be seen here near Orpwood Drive as the sun went down.
Here it is round the playpark.
Tesco was evacuated a few minutes later at around 6 PM as the car park flooded. The water did not come across the carpark as quickly as during the July 2007 floods.
The EA called us on Monday 9 February to let us know the Ock was on flood watch and also sent an email. Their website has also been showing the Ock on floodwatch since Monday?
However, I do know some of my neighbours have not been receiving the floodwatch alerts from the EA despite signing up to them. So if you have signed up you might want to check again that you're actually getting them.
the Rive Ock in Meadowside has very slightly gone down now
Mel
the quickdial worked for me yesterday evening – it claimed that the water would stabilise – and it did!
now falling – long may it continue.
Exactly – and yesterday afternoon the EA Floodwatch system wouldn't recognise the quick-dial numbers.
Will they ever learn??
Interestingly, the Environment Agency don't have the Ock in Abingdon on Flood Watch, let alone Flood Warning.
So we must be safe…..
It rose by about an inch between 2.30 and 7.00 yestarday. It came into my back garden in Orpwood Way by about 6' but it was far slower than 2007 so I was reasonably relaxed about it. My neighbour told me it may go up again today but apparently the council have an inflatable on standby!
http://martingulliver.blogspot.com/ has a couple of pics if you are interested – I was encouraged to start a blog by your fine example!