Reading Roars!

Another flood update has been released by Reading Borough Council.  Waters at Reading have risen, but only slightly.  They are expected to rise again tomorrow morning:

The Environment Agency have put the River Thames at Reading on Flood Warning (along with almost all of the surrounding areas including Sonning, Twyford, Caversham, Wargrave, Charvil etc). The Environment Agency has now advised that the waters at Reading have risen slightly, are expected to rise again early on Thursday morning 26 July, but to a lesser degree than previously predicted. However, residents and businesses are advised to keep their flood precautions in place until the Environment Agency issue the all clear.

There is now less risk of disruption to travel.

Does anyone have unusual flood pics they can send me, for publishing on this blog?  Also, are there any Reading readers with interesting flood-related stories to tell?

Did you know… that Reading, PA in the United States was flooded in June 2006?  The Office of the Mayor issued the following flood emergency advisory:

Reading (June 28, 2006) - The Mayor has declared a flood emergency in the City of Reading. The Schuylkill River has reached flood stages of 22.14 as of 9:10 a.m. Wednesday and is predicted to crest at 23’ during the evening of Wednesday, June 28th, a decrease of what was previously predicted by the National Weather Service.

The City of Reading Water Authority has advised that flooding on the Maiden Creek is causing the shutdown of the primary pumping station that supplies water to its distribution system. Residential customers in all municipalities served by the Reading Water Authority are asked to begin immediate conservation of water by curtailing all non-essential usage. Industrial customers are asked to cease all non-essential operations until further notice.

This situation does NOT currently impact the safety of anyone’s drinking water.

All citizens of the city are asked to assist in areas that need to be evacuated and to be aware of detours throughout the area.

Residents are asked to stay away from flooding areas as they may be contaminated or present unseen dangers.

Sections of the Route 422 bypass and some of the bridges may be closed; expect delays and plan alternate routes if it is necessary for driving. Please consult media outlets for traffic advisories.

Images can be seen on the Reading PA Fire Department website.

A little late, perhaps, but here are some pictures taken in Reading after it really, really poured last Friday (the above was snapped at the Overdown Road/Kentwood Hill roundabout in Tilehurst - a lady can be seen gingerly crossing the flooded road):

• Water sloshes about as cars approach a flooded Overdown Road/Kentwood Hill roundabout
• Traffic grinds to a halt at the same roundabout (check out the 2 4×4 vehicles - they don’t look so bad now)
• A flooded Oracle riverside, though this actually occurs several times a year (it happened earlier this year already)

As I write, the streets of Reading are bathed in glorious afternoon sunshine.  Very pleasant and very much what we expect (hope) to see at this time of year.

Visitors have been streaming in today as a result of the flood notice I posted yesterday.  I was wrong about my traffic forecast: today vehicles flowed smoothly (have the school summer holidays begun already?) and I saw only very mild flooding around the river at Thames Valley Park, glinting in the sun, suggesting that the predicted deluge was moving very slowly indeed.

Here is the latest warning issued by Reading Borough Council:

The Environment Agency have put the River Thames at Reading on Flood Warning (along with almost all of the surrounding areas including Sonning, Twyford, Caversham, Wargrave, Charvil etc). The Environment Agency has now advised that the waters at Reading are expected to rise early on Wednesday morning 25 July, but to a lesser degree than previously predicted. However, residents and businesses are advised to keep their flood precautions in place until the Environment Agency issue the all clear.

There is now less risk of disruption to travel.

You probably know this already, but because of the wet weather we have been experiencing recently the Thames river level in Reading is expected to rise in the early hours of Tuesday morning.  The following flood warning has been issued by Reading Borough Council:

The Environment Agency have put the River Thames at Reading on Flood Warning (along with almost all of the surrounding areas including Sonning, Twyford, Caversham, Wargrave, Charvil etc). The Environment Agency has revised it’s warning and advise that the waters at Reading are expected to rise at approx 2pm on July 24. Residents and Businesses in affected areas are strongly advised to take all possible precautions against flooding now. It is expected that there will be disruption to travel over the next few days so plan your journey carefully and avoid all unnecessary travel in the area.

The last sentence makes me nervous.  Travel within Reading is already a headache (this afternoon the commute home from Thames Valley Park, not a zillion miles away, took far longer than usual).  Tomorrow it could be severe.  I guess I will be walking, then.

Reading Roars! is now 2 years old.  I’ll probably have a pint this weekend to mark this unlikely anniversary.  Join me, if you like.