|
Year
|
Month
|
Causes
|
Consequences
|
|
1776
|
January
|
Very heavy
rain over four days resulting in a sudden and surprising rise
in the river level.
|
Riverside
buildings inundated to a depth of four feet. Strong current running
through several streets. One fatality.
|
|
1848
|
December
|
Heavy rainfall
over a period of one week.
|
Low lying
houses evacuated and filled with two to three feet of water. Rail
bridge collapse near Chartham. London bound luggage train plummets
into river.
|
|
1882
|
November
|
Heavy rain
over a number of days.
|
|
|
1909
|
October
|
Exceptionally
heavy rain over a period of three days. 4.22 inches fell between
three o’clock on the afternoon of Tuesday 27 and nine o’clock
on Friday 30. Over an inch and a quarter fell in three hours on
Friday morning.
|
Several streets
are flooded, St. Peter’s street being under 2ft. 3in. of water.
Some relief afforded by new flood course at Miller’s Fields. Widespread
inundation of the flood plain from Wye to Sturry.
|
|
1927
|
December
|
Thaw, combined
with over four inches of rain within seven days and an easterly
gale inducing a high tidal effect.
|
Arguably the
city’s greatest catastrophe. Hundreds of people homeless. Mayor
launches a special appeal.
|
|
1932
|
May
|
A severe thunderstorm,
releasing 25mm of rain in just over an hour, overcame the city
drains. During the storm, a hundred million gallons of water fell
within the city boundaries, of which 86 million gallons fell in
the intense period of half-an-hour during which 0.96 inches (24mm)
was recorded.
|
Streets turned
into miniature rivers. A torrent of water pours down the Whitstable
road.
|
|
1939
|
January
|
Heavy rainfall,
totalling 1.7 inches, on several inches of snow causing rapid
runoff.
|
St. Peter’s
Place submerged under one foot of water. Flooding below floorboards.
|
|
1947
|
January
|
Heavy rain
following thaw
|
|
|
1966
|
November
|
Heavy rain
over several days.
|
No serious
damage to property. Flood plain at Thanington and Sturry submerged
in 1 to 2 feet of water.
|
|
1967
|
May
|
Torrential
rain with driving hailstones reducing visibility to only a few
yards. City drains were unable to deal with the runoff.
|
Localised
urban flooding.
|
|
1967
|
November
|
Heavy rainfall;
obstruction of flow by St. Peter’s bridge
|
Westgate Gardens
inundated and some cellars flooded.
|
|
1968
|
September
|
Torrential
rain exceeding capacity of drainage system.
|
Localised
urban flooding.
|
|
1969
|
August
|
Heavy rainfall
and inadequate drainage possibly compounded by the growth of the
University and housing developments.
|
Sheet flow
down roads and streets into the city centre. Localised flooding.
|
|
1970
|
January
|
|
Westgate Gardens
turned into a lake.
|
|
1984
|
October
|
Intense rainfall,
42 millimetres over 26 hours, exceeded the capacity of city drains.
|
|
|
1987
|
October
|
Heavy rainfall
and flood discharge combined with the council failing to open
flood sluices.
|
Some houses
in Blackfriars under threat. Minor bank collapse.
|
|
1997
|
December
|
Heavy rainfall
and snowmelt on frozen ground.
|
|
