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Many places in the UK have today been badly affected by severe flooding. I am watching footage on the news of people being rescued by helicopters all over the country. It has been the wettest June on record. Apparently a month's rainfall has fallen in 24 hours. One man has died and a teenager has been swept away by the water. Streets all over the country have been turned into fast flowing rivers, and cars are floating along in the water.
The effects are so widespread. Here in Gloucestershire, there are many villages and areas that are almost completely cut off. It took my parents an hour and a half to get to work, when it usually takes them 10 minutes!!
We woke up this morning to find that the River Chelt which runs down the end of our garden is no longer a little trickle of water, but a fast-flowing mass of water. It was a bit scarey for a while, as it was coming up to our garden, but we were relieved when it began to lower. Here are a few pictures. Bear in mind that this is usually a trickle of water that you could stand in up to your ankle.
It has already begun to retreat at this point, leaving debris and mud on the drive and in our garden:
During the day the water gradually retreated further:
Watching the news, I realise that we have been so lucky. So many people's houses are under water. People have had to abandon their cars that have ended up stranded. Many people are without power.
I am just praying now that the rains holds off for a while. Some places are forecast for things to get worse before they get better. I can't remember ever seeing scenes like this so widespread in the UK before.
Has anyone else in the UK been affected by these floods?????
Pumpkin & Pickle BearsWow, that's scarey!!
We've had loads of rain all day here in East Sussex too (and last night) but luckily we are quite high up so rarely get flooded. I had to go into town to run some errands today and let me tell you - walking in the freezing cold, pouring rain with a 5 year old and a 2 year old on reins in tow is no fun!!!
Stay safe Samantha!! :hug:
Matilda Huggington-beareScary stuff Samantha .Great photos though :dance: We arent getting nearly enough rain here on the west coast of Aust. and it is suppose tobe winter over here.
Oh dear me - our English friends are really getting the rain. I hope all our TT'ers are safe. Mother Nature certainly has a funny way of sharing the rain out - we in South Australia are desperate for it, and some parts of the eastern part of Australia have had dreadful floods. Let's hope the rain eases up soon in England - that much flooding is a worry.
Back Road BearsWow! We had a very similar scene here last May and again in October. When it's so unusual and causes so many losses of both homes, material things, and more importantly lives it's very shocking and scary! I'm glad you are safe, Samantha! And glad the water is receeding. Other's will likely have it worse before it gets better because those little rivers drain into bigger ones..... the larger rivers can take an extra day before they flood then start to receede. I do hope the sun stays out and every one dries up quickly!
:hug:
WienSamantha,
the weather is scary!
I´m so sorry for all the people and animlas, that have to suffer from the weather going nuts 
And I hope that you stay save!
We, on the contrary, have the hottest weeks since record, and of course nearly every day severe thunderstorms. We had people dying 2 days ago, being hit by falling trees and and a falling crane.
Wishing us all "normal " weather
Gaby 
Thankfully I am just incredibly wet: we live next to a river but I'm ok at the moment... it did wreck my Midsummer Ball though!
Good luck everyone 
I am supposed to be at work today. It usually takes me 20 mins at the most to get there, but a couple of the roads I use to get to work are flooded. It took me 1½ hours (turning around twice) to get half way there. I decided to turn around and go home. It has just taken me another 1½ hours to get home, this should have taken me 2 mins tops.
YorkshireYou must have been so relieved when the rain finally stopped. It must have been so scary watching the water coming towards your house.
It really has been quite scary here in Yorkshire on top of the 24 hour non-stop rain, we had bad winds (not me personally 
). I only ventured out to our village to take my smallest to nursery and we ended up having to walk down the road as all the pavements were flooded. The pictures on the news really bring it home how bad it has been and we are due for more rain from tomorrow night and for the rest of the week!!!
Hope you are OK Kim, I know your area of the UK was hit very badly yesterday and I was thinking of you when I was watching the news!
Hope this freaky weather calms down soon. :pray: and pray that there are no more casualties.
Take care everyone, Ali x
DoodlebearsWell here where I live in Buckinghamshire UK so far so good. We have had a little rain but nothing much at all. Saying that the skys will most likely open and flood us out. Right now I have the doors open to the garden and washing out drying. Yesterday my daughter Eve told me that her garden was flooded and she could hardly see through the rain as it was so heavy. She could hardly believe me when I said the sun was shinning here. Keep safe everyone!
Hugs Jane. 
Scary stuff watching all this on television last night...like Jane said we have been really lucky here in Buckinghamshire. Samantha...great pictures... you must have been really worried for a while..
hope things are still improving, and you are slowly getting your garden back!
My son has just returned from the Glastonbury Festival....mud bath...so you can imagine the state he returned home in!!! My washing machine is still in shock!!!
Lets pray for some summer weather soon!! :pray: :pray:
Hugs Yvonne
Posts: 3,540Ladies you need to stay holed up until the water receeds. I know how tempting it is, and how you 'have' to go into work, but seriously....floodwaters are exceedingly dangerous!!! You've no idea what's under that water. The road may be completely gone in sections. And never underestimate the power of the water. Yes, its more than capable of sweeping cars along....
Please, PLEASE stay on high ground and wait. It will only be a few days, and its much better to wait out a flood than to 'brave the weather' .
Chaska, MinnesotaSamantha: how sad some people of unsafe during a flood. It is tragic that people lose their lives and possessions. It reminds me of Hurricane Katrina and the devastation it wreaked. It was the flooding and not the wind that caused most of the damage. I hope the rains stops and people can reclaim their lives.
Past Time BearsStay safe, you friends across the pond! We here in North Texas are also having flooding problems . . . 6 lives lost just last week - 3 being small children. I have a rain gauge and the total rainfall we've had in 1/2 a year has equalled the total we normally get in a full year. I'm thinking we will turn into a rain forest. Our back woods is definitely like a jungle a the moment. What in heaven's name are we doing to our planet that has made the weather become so unstable, unpredictable, and abnormal?? Just a rhetorical question . . . I know we are screwing up the environment - bigtime! Anyway, I do hope you Brits are going to be okay.
how scary! I hope all the TTers are ok! :hug:
YorkshireHi Samantha, as we have been having bad rain showers nearly every day since last weeks flooding, I wondered how you and your garden are holding up? I've forgetten what the sun looks like the weird thing is that the temperature seems to drop some days and on other days its so humid!!!! Can't wait for this freakish weather to stop!
p.s. I haven't heard from Kim (bears by Kim) I hope she's OK.
Hugs Ali x
Hiya Ali,
We are fine here in Cheltenham!! The river has stayed low.
Where has the summer gone in the UK??? I can't believe it is July!! We had such a lovely warm, dry April, that the weather is obviously making up for it now!!!! 
