floods – BrownhillsBob's #365daysofbiking

#365daysofbiking Sunshine after rain

June 14th – Feeling unwell but needing to go out, I slipped out late afternoon to pick something up from a friend in Barton. The heavens opened on my as I left and the rain was torrential. By the time I got to Lichfield I was soaked – I’d endured rain, hail, thunder and lightning…

But, at Lichfield, the weather cleared, the sun came out and I gently dried in the soft sun. It was actually gorgeous.

Cake, coffee, a completed mission at Barton, I enjoyed a spin back and the spectacle of flooded roads and swollen rivers.

A better than expected ride.

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October 8th – The weather has really turned this week. From the warm, dry Indian summer it’s changed into a wet, squally October. Very, very heavy periods of rain throughout the day interspersed with sunshine made it a great day for rainbow hunters, but not for drivers, as many local roads were flooded.

Here at Green Lane, on the Walsall Wood – Shelfield border, the usual standing flood near the cottage. It’s not deep, but riding this on a bike needs careful observation not to be passed by a vehicle and splashed or worse.

Coupled with all this it seems very cold (although it isn’t, it’s just a shock).

Oh hello winter. I wondered where you’d got to…

February 12th – Tumblr doesn’t seem to allow video and photos in the same post, but here’s the flow at the Clayhanger Overflow in the last post. I’ve never, ever seen it running like this. And all this water will end up in the Tame and Trent.

It makes you think, for sure.

November 25th – following the heavy rains of the previous week, and in particular the day before, there was lots of local flooding. One interesting flood was on Clayhager Common, but I doubt many observing it would spot the significance. The lower meadow, bordered by the canal and old railway embankment was swamped with water from the canal overflow, which was either blocked, or beyond capacity. The resultant deluge was forming a pool on this, the lowest part of the common. This pool, very slowly, was draining into the Ford Brook. It may well take a few days, but gradually, the waters will recede in a controlled manner. Years ago, this would have flooded the village, but careful and clever environmental design built the lower meadow as a bund for just this purpose. The Ford Brook itself was healthy, but not high and around Clayhanger, the roads were generally clear.

While about around the common, I noted the gate from the Clayhanger Village entrance had been forced open, it’s lock cut off. Looks like a call to the rangers might be an idea…