The Lynmouth Flood 1952L.O: To describe the events that took place at Lynmouth in 1952 and explain one of the causes of the flood in detail.

Quick Overview

In August 1952 the small town of Lynmouth, Devon, was devastated by a flash flood. The flood killed 34 people Destroyed 55 buildings (25% of the

town) Left over 100,000 tons of debris in the

village Draw in a data table

Date of Event People Killed Buildings Destroyed

Our aims

1. What caused the flood?2. Did human activity make the situation

worse?3. What lessons can be learnt from the

disaster?

We will also compare the Lynmouth flood with a more recent flash flood that occurred in 2004 on the exact same day.

Where is Lynmouth

Location Country: UK Region: South West England and the

West Lyn County: Devon

A small coastal town, Lynmouth is located in a steep-sided narrow valley at the confluence of two rivers – the East Lyn & the West Lyn

Mapping the disaster

Have a look a the following images from google earth and complete the mapping activity: Shade in Devon County Locate and label

Lynmouth with a dot

What caused the flood?

Topography

Human Activity

Meteorology

Causes

Video 2

Meteorology – The Weather

The flooding event was a combination of factors: Dry summer up to early

August Period of heavy rain leading

up to Aug 15th

Extreme rainfall event on Aug 15th

Low Pressure System…

What is a Low Pressure System?

Types of Rainfall

Complete the types of rainfall worksheet. Why does Britain not receive a lot of

relief or convectional rainfall?

Thumbometer

L.O: To describe the events that took place at Lynmouth in 1952 and explain one of the causes of the flood in detail.