OUT TO LUNCH
___STEADY_PAYWALL___
Last week the UK news was dominated by a story about a collapsing dam above the small town of Whaley Bridge in rural Derbyshire. Unseasonal heavy rains had put enormous pressure on the wall of the 180 year old Toddbrook reservoir which looms ominously over the town. That that had caused part of the dam wall to collapse. If the structure collapses any more 1.3 million tonnes of water would pour down into the town destroying all in its path.
The town of Whaley Bridge would cease to exist and 6500 people would have lost everything. When the damage became apparent the residents of the town were forced by the police to evacuate immediately with no time to gather personal belongings in many cases.
At the time of writing this column the authorities were busy pumping water out of the dam to lessen the stress on the wall and RAF Chinook helicopters were dropping 1 tonne sandbags into the damaged part of the dam in an attempt to temporarily strengthen it. For a very brief interval of time residents were allowed back by the emergency services into their threatened homes (possibly for a last visit) to collect essential documents, medicines and pets but that decision was reversed when the weather forecasters predicted more heavy rain on the way.
The new wave of torrential rain will undo all the good the water pumps have achieved thus far, will slow down emergency services and will increase the chance of the Toddbrook dam wiping out the town of Whaley Bridge. It’s like something out of a horror movie and it’s almost impossible to imagine the terror, emotions and stresses of the residents of Whaley Bridge who stand to lose everything if there is no happy ending to this story.