river street, westbourne

The River Ems burst its banks and flooded across River Street. These pictures were taken in November and the water is run-off from chalk downland which drains into the Ems, hence why the flooding in Westbourne occurred a week after the main meteorological event described above. Flooding like this has only happened a couple of other times in my lifetime! The River Ems alongside River Street has been known to dry up completely in summer; this is more common than it flooding.

the river ems

looking across to my parents' house. thankfully there is an earthen bank and a field between the river and the houses. The field is set lower than the level of the road too, but these houses have still been known to suffer from subsidence over their ~40-year lifetime.

the river ems

Approximate location on River Street from where these photos were taken. © multimap

the river ems

Flood risk from the River Ems in Westbourne. The Ems was on severe flood warning between 8th and 14th of November. © Environment Agency