Coastal Flooding

[James XVI]

I honestly have no idea why I decided to come to P&W for this, but whatever... here it goes anyway.

I've been (loosely) following this news story about a Welsh council's plan to stop maintaining flood defences after 2025, and I wanted to know what people's general thought on this matter was.

 

Personally, I think in the long term, this was the correct choice made by the council (even if it makes me sound heartless), when costs of maintenance for flood defences, and the still present risk the town will have of flooding even if defences exist (and the inevitable costs & disruption that'd cause). Besides, there are other options (elevated/floating houses) if people want to remain in the same community/area anyway...even if that'd also cost a large amount in itself.

 

What do people think? If you disagree, what is your reasoning?

 

The argument that anthropogenic climate change isn't a thing, by the way, is not a valid argument in this case (and is stupid anyway )

[fistofdoom]

they should invest in scuba diving 

[Quasar]

they should invest in scuba diving 

Or underwater cities

[Alex]

In flood prone areas, they generally build houses on stilts. It will be costly to adapt, but given enough time (almost 10 years) it could likely be done. Or, people can just move.

 

[fistofdoom]

or they could just create a giant earthen mound ringing the at risk areas

you know

with a half a million tons of dirt

[Quasar]

In flood prone areas, they generally build houses on stilts. It will be costly to adapt, but given enough time (almost 10 years) it could likely be done. Or, people can just move.

 

I would be worried about hurricanes or tornadoes. The building doesn't look structurally safe.

Edited February 26, 2016 by Quasar

[Kyubnyan]

I would be worried about hurricanes or tornadoes. The building doesn't look structurally safe.

There aren't many of those in Wales.

[James XVI]

In flood prone areas, they generally build houses on stilts. It will be costly to adapt, but given enough time (almost 10 years) it could likely be done. Or, people can just move.

 

[image]

 

This I agree would be the best solution for people that would want to stay in the area, so long as some money was spent on breakwaters to avoid wave damage.

 

or they could just create a giant earthen mound ringing the at risk areas

you know

with a half a million tons of dirt

....

That's just flood defences and 'dirt' is really not effective.

[WISD0MTREE]

In flood prone areas, they generally build houses on stilts. It will be costly to adapt, but given enough time (almost 10 years) it could likely be done. Or, people can just move.

 

-snip-

I remember after either Ike or Rita in Houston, someone wanted to do this in a neighborhood and the HOA shut them down. I have no idea why they would want to, since they were so far inland. Ike's "flooding" covered the streets in less than an inch. 

 

I would be worried about hurricanes or tornadoes. The building doesn't look structurally safe.

They have those in Galveston. If they are built in hurricane-prone areas, they tend to use concrete for the stilts. I don't know about tornadoes, though. 

[Quasar]

I remember after either Ike or Rita in Houston, someone wanted to do this in a neighborhood and the HOA shut them down. I have no idea why they would want to, since they were so far inland. Ike's "flooding" covered the streets in less than an inch. 

 

They have those in Galveston. If they are built in hurricane-prone areas, they tend to use concrete for the stilts. I don't know about tornadoes, though. 

Ah, that makes more sense.

I am not sure why i mentioned tornadoes. A tornado would destroy a house whether it was on water or not

[SoS]

I would be worried about hurricanes or tornadoes. The building doesn't look structurally safe.

I noticed WISDOMTREE mentioned this, yes houses on stilts are the norm in Galveston. !@#$ing island is routinely, completely under water.

 

Then you can build levies which will become dams once the water gets inside.

 

Best bet is to get a few feet above sea level.