Storm Event

Twice Bath Road was completely submerged with water lapping up to doorsteps

Severity ? 2

Source

This event was associated with gale force wind, which forced the water to rise to 15 ft 9 inches in Southampton at 6:00 am – 3 ft over the prediction (Ruocco, 2009).

Pathway

It was reported by Ruocco (2009) that the Lymington river overflowed its banks at high tide on 8th December 1954. The Rivers Meon and Wallington were also in spate.

Receptor and Consequence

This event was associated with widespread flooding across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, with local roads and quayside areas at many locations inundated including Southampton, Fareham, Lymington and Hythe (Ruocco et al., 2011). 600 yards of the road from Fareham to Cosham was flooded by 18 inches of water. Calshot RAF maintenance base was cut off as waves washed into the camp (Ruocco, 2009). Flood water up to 3 ft inundated warehouses on Hythe High Street, businesses were effected as far as Poole Quay (Ruocco, 2009; Burrows, 2017). In Ryde, Isle of Wight the basement level of some residential properties were flooded to several inches (Ruocco et al., 2011). Trains and trams were cancelled on Ryde pier at 9:30 am due to tumultuous seas flooding the esplanade (Ruocco, 2009).

Summary Table

Loss of life *
Residential property Homes on Bath Road and Terminus Terrace were inundated; properties flooded in Ryde
Evacuation & Rescue *
 
Cost *
Ports *
Transport Many Hampshire roads were underwater, including Bath Road, Terminus Terrace, Empress Road, Shore Road, West Street, Rumbridge Street. Buses diverted from Terminus Terrace. Disruption to trains and trams in Ryde
Energy *
Public services Police station flooded in Totton
Water & wastewater *
Livestock *
Agricultural land *
 
Coastal erosion *
Natural environment *
Cultural heritage *
Coastal defences *

*No known sources of information available

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References

  1. Ruocco, A. (2009). Reconstructing Coastal Flood Occurrence in the Solent since 1935 using Historical Database. Southampton MSc Dissertation.
  2. Ruocco, A. (2009). Reconstructing Coastal Flood Occurrence in the Solent since 1935 using Historical Database. Southampton MSc Dissertation.
  3. Ruocco, A. Nicholls, R. J., Haigh, I. D., and Wadey, M. (2011). ‘Reconstructing Coastal Flood Occurrence Combining Sea Level and Media Sources: A case study of the Solent UK since 1935’. Natural Hazards, 59(3): 1773-1796. Available at: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11069-011-9868-7 (Accessed: 27 March 2015).
  4. Burrows, S. (2017).Analysis of Historical Coastal Floods in Dorset from 1935 -2014. Southampton Undergraduate Thesis.