Storm Event

Severity ? 2

Sources

No known sources of information.

Pathway

Hickey (1997) reported high tides breaching the sea wall in Stornoway.

Receptor and Consequence

On 1st February 1990, there was flooding in Towyn, Wales (Zong and Tooley, 2003). Over 3 weeks later, the town would be hit again by a major flood event – the fact that Zong and Tooley (2003) omit the 26th February 1990 major flood in their database indicates this entry is either a date error; or that the town was hit by flooding during this date from the same storm that caused flooding in England and Scotland over this time. 2nd February 1990 was associated with localised impacts concentrated in Stornoway, Scotland (Hickey, 1997). Local roads were inundated, along with the Town Hall, and the Central Bus Station was left cut-off. In Braighe, the inundation had reached the end of the airport runway as the shingle embankment was “virtually” washed away. On 3rd February 1990, there was reportedly “disastrous” flooding in England, although no further detail is given (Lamb, 1991).

Summary Table

Loss of life *
Residential property *
Evacuation & Rescue *
 
Cost *
Ports *
Transport Local road inundated. Airport runway flooded in Braighe. Stornoway’s central bus station was cut off.
Energy Fusebox of commercial building flooded in Stornoway, power cut off.
Public services *
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. Hickey, K.R. (1997). Documentary records of coastal storms in Scotland, 1500-1991 A.D. Coventry University. Available at: https://curve.coventry.ac.uk/open/items/aa6dfd04-d53f-4741-1bb7-bdf99fb153be/1/.
  2. Zong, Y., and Tooley, M. J. A. (2003). ‘Historical Record of Coastal Floods in Britain: Frequencies and Associated Storm Tracks’. Natural Hazards, 29, 13–36. Available at: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A%3A1022942801531 (Accessed: 5 March 2015).
  3. Zong, Y., and Tooley, M. J. A. (2003). ‘Historical Record of Coastal Floods in Britain: Frequencies and Associated Storm Tracks’. Natural Hazards, 29, 13–36. Available at: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A%3A1022942801531 (Accessed: 5 March 2015).
  4. Hickey, K.R. (1997). Documentary records of coastal storms in Scotland, 1500-1991 A.D. Coventry University. Available at: https://curve.coventry.ac.uk/open/items/aa6dfd04-d53f-4741-1bb7-bdf99fb153be/1/.
  5. Lamb, H.H., (1991). Historic Storms of the North Sea, British Isles and Northwest Europe 1st ed. Cambridge University Press. Available at: http://assets.cambridge.org/97805216/19318/excerpt/9780521619318_excerpt.pdf (Accessed: 13 March 2015).