York sits at the confluence of two rivers, the River Ouse and River Foss. This is no coincidence – the site was specifically chosen by the Roman Legion for its strategic position and ease of defence. The Ouse is one of the main rivers in the North of England, flowing in to the Humber and ultimately in to the North Sea. York is a very flat area, with no surrounding hills to attack from. The city sits on a slight ridge above what was marshy ground, with the two rivers providing defensive cover on two sides of a triangle.
Unfortunately being located on two rivers has its downsides! York is notorious for its flooding. The River Ouse floods regularly, at least once a year, and primarily in winter. The city has spent millions of pounds over the last few decades to shore up river defences, including a purpose built flood diversion plain north of the city at Clifton, a flood barrier to stop water backing up the Foss, flood walls and flood gates. However, there is only so much mankind can do against Mother Nature. Sometimes the locals just have to sit tight and wait for the water to subside, and this has become part of everyday life in York.
Normal
In Flood
Kings Staith
The Kings Arms pub on Kings Staith has become synonymous with flooding. It is located right on the riverfront, and is generally one of the first properties to be flooded every year. It is so frequently submerged below water that they erected a measuring stick inside the pub to compare the water levels for each flood!
To date, the record flood is that of 2000, which was the worst recorded flood in York for 375 years. After heavy rainfall, much of the floodwater backed up the drains, appearing in unexpected areas, such as at the foot of Cliffords Tower, creating a modern day moat.
At one stage in the 2000 floods the water levels got to within 6 inches of breaching the sandbags. If this had happened, the damage and disruption would have been immense. Fortunately thanks to the Army and Emergency Services the flood defences were reinforced and the impact was contained. However, as you can see they provided us with some spectacular images.
Temporary Flood Defences
