Last Saturday morning (6th December 2015), I was packing my stuff in York after spending my 18th birthday there, ready to go back home to Cumbria to have a party at my home with my friends. For some reason I woke up earlier than I thought and was up and ready by 8am. I went downstairs to see is we were still setting off at 10, as I wanted to dash down to my favourite shop to buy a Christmas decoration for my bedroom, as it was recently decorated over the summer, so I thought since this year I have a beautiful bedroom that I'd decorate it for Christmas.
When I got downstairs, my dad informed me that it was very windy and rainy up in Cumbria, and that we should set off early in case some of the minor roads get a little bit flooded. I was a bit disappointed, but hey, I still had my birthday party to look forward to once I got home. I had a gorgeous black dress that I couldn't wait to wear, and I was going to see one of my best friends who I hadn't seen since early this year. We packed up the car and were on the road by 9:15am. I looked out the window and thought, that surely up in Cumbria, the weather couldn't be that bad, seeing how in York it was just grey and windy.
We'd had a good run up the motorway and made good time. Just before we got onto the A66 the rain started, and oh boy did it start, but we carried on. Near a village called Dalton, on the A66, there was a lorry over turned right across the road. All our hearts sank, as we'd been doing so well. We debated whether to continue waiting on the A66 to see if they cleared the lorry, but my dad was in a hurry to get back, so we left the A66 by a side road. Shortly after leaving the A66, we came across our first flood. We weren't in a tiny car, but we weren't in a 4x4 either. My dad nervously drove the car through the water and we all held our breath til we reached the other side.
We had hoped that was the first and last flood that we'd have to drive through. We were wrong. The floods kept coming and each one seemed to be deeper than the last. My parents were arguing about whether we should turn around- but if we did that we'd still have to go back through the floods we just came through. It was at this point that I looked through the back window and saw that the white sports car that had been following us had gone. I'd imagine because it was slightly lower than us that the previous deep flood had done the engine in.
After maybe the fifth flood, we met an AAA van, and asked for directions back onto the A66, as we were becoming lost in all the deep water. He gave us directions, and we warned him of all the floods we had just came through. I was so relieved once we got back onto the A66. I checked my phone to see if I could have a look at what the whether was like in Keswick, and my heart completely sank, I saw a photo on the Cumbria Crack Facebook page that showed the river Greta up to the glass flood defense. Then as I scrolled further through Facebook there were more and more reports of flooding across Cumbria.
We had planned to stop off in Keswick on our way home to Braithwaite to get some milk and bread, but as we went past Penrith, we decided to stop at Aldi in case we couldn't get into Keswick, and what a good job it was that we didn't wait til Keswick. There were police vans parked across every entrance to Keswick. Here are some horrible quality photos:
When I got downstairs, my dad informed me that it was very windy and rainy up in Cumbria, and that we should set off early in case some of the minor roads get a little bit flooded. I was a bit disappointed, but hey, I still had my birthday party to look forward to once I got home. I had a gorgeous black dress that I couldn't wait to wear, and I was going to see one of my best friends who I hadn't seen since early this year. We packed up the car and were on the road by 9:15am. I looked out the window and thought, that surely up in Cumbria, the weather couldn't be that bad, seeing how in York it was just grey and windy.
We'd had a good run up the motorway and made good time. Just before we got onto the A66 the rain started, and oh boy did it start, but we carried on. Near a village called Dalton, on the A66, there was a lorry over turned right across the road. All our hearts sank, as we'd been doing so well. We debated whether to continue waiting on the A66 to see if they cleared the lorry, but my dad was in a hurry to get back, so we left the A66 by a side road. Shortly after leaving the A66, we came across our first flood. We weren't in a tiny car, but we weren't in a 4x4 either. My dad nervously drove the car through the water and we all held our breath til we reached the other side.
We had hoped that was the first and last flood that we'd have to drive through. We were wrong. The floods kept coming and each one seemed to be deeper than the last. My parents were arguing about whether we should turn around- but if we did that we'd still have to go back through the floods we just came through. It was at this point that I looked through the back window and saw that the white sports car that had been following us had gone. I'd imagine because it was slightly lower than us that the previous deep flood had done the engine in.
After maybe the fifth flood, we met an AAA van, and asked for directions back onto the A66, as we were becoming lost in all the deep water. He gave us directions, and we warned him of all the floods we had just came through. I was so relieved once we got back onto the A66. I checked my phone to see if I could have a look at what the whether was like in Keswick, and my heart completely sank, I saw a photo on the Cumbria Crack Facebook page that showed the river Greta up to the glass flood defense. Then as I scrolled further through Facebook there were more and more reports of flooding across Cumbria.
We had planned to stop off in Keswick on our way home to Braithwaite to get some milk and bread, but as we went past Penrith, we decided to stop at Aldi in case we couldn't get into Keswick, and what a good job it was that we didn't wait til Keswick. There were police vans parked across every entrance to Keswick. Here are some horrible quality photos:
I was feeling horrible as we approached Braithwaite and saw a huge flood across the junction. As we went through it, it splashed right up onto the windscreen and we had to stop for a few moments til it cleared. We have a river in Braithwaite that flows down from a dam, and I began to worry about how high the river might be. As we got into the village and approached the hump back bridge, we saw that the river was right at the top of the banking, and with the continuous rain, it was certain that it was going to come over at some point. My dad reassured me though that we'd be fine. Our house was a lot higher up than the houses around us and we didn't flood back in 2009.
When we pulled into the drive way, we left all our luggage and my 18th birthday presents in the car and went inside to get warmed up and have some lunch. It was at this point that I realised that my friends wouldn't be able to get through for my party. I felt really upset about this, but my best friend Amy was still at mine as she'd came to York with us, so my mum said she'd cook some of the food for the party and we'd just have a nice girls night in, watching films and all that jazz.
I looked out the window at the horrendous weather and saw my Nana who lives across the garden from us. She was fiddling with her flood gate or something, so my mum went over to check on her. Moments later my mum rang up in a panic crying, shouting that my Nana's house was flooding again. I shouted up to my brother, who ran over to help. Amy and I didn't know whether to go over, or if we'd just get in the way. We decided we should go over and see if they needed anything, so we rushed around trying to find old clothes and shoes. We crossed the soaking grass and stopped short outside my Nana's. There was a small river gushing past her house. I'd just gotten a tattoo on my ankle and I was debating whether or not to step into the sewage ridden water when my dad shouted over to us.
He told us to get inside and just keep the fire burning at our house, and to make cups of tea for everyone. We went back inside and began to keep the fire going and such. I looked out the window and saw that the road outside our house was submerged in water. I began to panic, as back in 2009, the water had never reached our house. Then I remembered all our luggage inside my mums car. Amy and I rushed outside and began gathering all the luggage and presents from the car and taking it into the house. We initially put it down in the kitchen, but thought it might get in the way, so we put it upstairs in my parents bedroom. Each time we looked outside the window, we could see the water inching it's way up our driveway:
I looked out the window at the horrendous weather and saw my Nana who lives across the garden from us. She was fiddling with her flood gate or something, so my mum went over to check on her. Moments later my mum rang up in a panic crying, shouting that my Nana's house was flooding again. I shouted up to my brother, who ran over to help. Amy and I didn't know whether to go over, or if we'd just get in the way. We decided we should go over and see if they needed anything, so we rushed around trying to find old clothes and shoes. We crossed the soaking grass and stopped short outside my Nana's. There was a small river gushing past her house. I'd just gotten a tattoo on my ankle and I was debating whether or not to step into the sewage ridden water when my dad shouted over to us.
He told us to get inside and just keep the fire burning at our house, and to make cups of tea for everyone. We went back inside and began to keep the fire going and such. I looked out the window and saw that the road outside our house was submerged in water. I began to panic, as back in 2009, the water had never reached our house. Then I remembered all our luggage inside my mums car. Amy and I rushed outside and began gathering all the luggage and presents from the car and taking it into the house. We initially put it down in the kitchen, but thought it might get in the way, so we put it upstairs in my parents bedroom. Each time we looked outside the window, we could see the water inching it's way up our driveway:
I saw my dad outside and shouted to him asking if we should start moving things upstairs, as the water had never been so close to our house. He said no and that we'd be fine, but I had such an awful feeling that Amy and I unplugged our iMac and took it upstairs, as we thought that if the water came in, it would get dropped and be broken. My Nana and Uncle came over at this point to get warm and dry, as the water was now waist height in her house. I was just putting the kettle on when I noticed that the water was at the front door step. I've only ever been that scared one other time in my life. I remember shouting to my mum "We're going to flood!" We all began rushing and grabbing anything we could and running upstairs with it. I remember the water coming in the front door and into the porch. My mum thrust a pile of insurance documents into my hands which I took upstairs to safety.
Then my mum started shouting about her cookery books which she'd been collecting for years. We started taking them off the kitchen shelves and onto the counter top. I thought I'd go have a look outside and see what the height of the water was like, and I just burst into hysterical sobs. It was awful, I just couldn't stop myslef crying. The water was at our windowsills. In the space of maybe 15 minutes the water had gotten up to our windowsills. It wasn't until later that I learned that it was due to a huge 3ft surge of water coming over the river bank. The water outside our house wasn't still sitting water- it was like waves on the sea. It was just surging down the cul-de-sac opposite us.
Then panic really set in when I realized that my dad wasn't in the house. The thought that something could have happened to him was horrendous. Amy sat with me and kept telling me it'd be fine and all of that kind of stuff, but obviously nothing helps when you're in that kind of state.
Amy was amazing at helping us to rescue things from downstairs while I just sat like a blubbering mess in my room. I then looked out my bedroom window and saw my dad stood on the picnic table in our garden with two shovels. A fresh wave of fear went over me, as I thought that if he stepped off the table he'd be swept away. I remember clawing at my bedroom window and waving at him. I went to go shout for someone that he was trapped on the table, but when I looked back he was gone.
Before I had chance to start getting worked up again Amy was shouting that my dad was in the house. He'd gotten in through a window and everything was okay. I was so relieved and tried to get myself going again with lifting stuff upstairs. While my dad had been outside, my brother had switched off the power as he didn't know that our electrics went down bank, so when my dad came back in he switched the power back on which was another relief.
Here's some photos of what outside looked like at this point:
Then my mum started shouting about her cookery books which she'd been collecting for years. We started taking them off the kitchen shelves and onto the counter top. I thought I'd go have a look outside and see what the height of the water was like, and I just burst into hysterical sobs. It was awful, I just couldn't stop myslef crying. The water was at our windowsills. In the space of maybe 15 minutes the water had gotten up to our windowsills. It wasn't until later that I learned that it was due to a huge 3ft surge of water coming over the river bank. The water outside our house wasn't still sitting water- it was like waves on the sea. It was just surging down the cul-de-sac opposite us.
Then panic really set in when I realized that my dad wasn't in the house. The thought that something could have happened to him was horrendous. Amy sat with me and kept telling me it'd be fine and all of that kind of stuff, but obviously nothing helps when you're in that kind of state.
Amy was amazing at helping us to rescue things from downstairs while I just sat like a blubbering mess in my room. I then looked out my bedroom window and saw my dad stood on the picnic table in our garden with two shovels. A fresh wave of fear went over me, as I thought that if he stepped off the table he'd be swept away. I remember clawing at my bedroom window and waving at him. I went to go shout for someone that he was trapped on the table, but when I looked back he was gone.
Before I had chance to start getting worked up again Amy was shouting that my dad was in the house. He'd gotten in through a window and everything was okay. I was so relieved and tried to get myself going again with lifting stuff upstairs. While my dad had been outside, my brother had switched off the power as he didn't know that our electrics went down bank, so when my dad came back in he switched the power back on which was another relief.
Here's some photos of what outside looked like at this point:
These two photos were taken about 20 minutes apart, and show clearly how fast darkness came. Everything always seems worse at night time, and I was beginning to worry if we would be trapped in the house throughout the night.
It was getting darker and darker and still no help arrived. I sat on my bed with Amy, wondering what we were going to do for the rest of the night. My dad came in and told my nana that she should go up to her friend's house at the top of Braithwaite for the night, as he was only able to get two rooms at the Coledale. Since the water outside the house was up to the windowsils and then the water inside was only about 8 inches, there was no way we were opening the doors. The only way for us to get out was through the window. I looked out the window at the rushing water and wondered how we could stand up to it as it was moving so fast.
Downswtairs my uncle was outside the living room window and my dad was inside kneeling on the sofa, with my nana in front of him. My nana isn't the most moblie, and she wan't keen on the idea of having to bend down to get under the window which was open as far as it would go. They kept telling her to lean back and we could all see that she was very worried. However they got her out and we watched as she dissapeared into the dark with my uncle. Here is a photo showing what a small window my nana had to get through:
Downswtairs my uncle was outside the living room window and my dad was inside kneeling on the sofa, with my nana in front of him. My nana isn't the most moblie, and she wan't keen on the idea of having to bend down to get under the window which was open as far as it would go. They kept telling her to lean back and we could all see that she was very worried. However they got her out and we watched as she dissapeared into the dark with my uncle. Here is a photo showing what a small window my nana had to get through:
Now that my nana was out, it was time for us to pack a bag and get up to the Coledale to get dried off and warmed up. I grabbed my college backpack and threw all my books onto the floor and began stuffing in pyjamas and underwear, I had initially picked up a normal bag, but then I decided that I may need my hands to wade through the water. When I was almost done packing, my uncle rang my mum shouting that they were stuck outside my great uncle's wear house. The water was too strong and they couldn't get any further forward. This meant that we wouldn't be able to go that way either. Thankfully, at the back of my house there are more houses, and there is a big garden with a very low hedge around it.
My dad took Amy through the gardens first, he put her on his back and went across my nana's garden and up through the back. As it was very dark, my dad lost his footing and fell in the water with Amy on his back. He picked himself up again and waded through the gardens til he got to the hill that leads up to the top of the village. He then came back for me. I felt extremely nervous as I sat on the edge of the windowsill, my legs dangling in the freezing muddy water. He sat me on top of the gate and climbed over it, then I turned myself around and got back on his back until the water wasn't as strong and high. He popped me down next to Amy, and Amy and I began walking up to the Coledale.
Walking into the Coledale was a huge relief. It was warm and it was dry. Amy and I perched awkwardly in the entrance so as not to drip allover. We waited for my parents and brother to arrive and went to go get showered and changed into dry clothes.
My dad took Amy through the gardens first, he put her on his back and went across my nana's garden and up through the back. As it was very dark, my dad lost his footing and fell in the water with Amy on his back. He picked himself up again and waded through the gardens til he got to the hill that leads up to the top of the village. He then came back for me. I felt extremely nervous as I sat on the edge of the windowsill, my legs dangling in the freezing muddy water. He sat me on top of the gate and climbed over it, then I turned myself around and got back on his back until the water wasn't as strong and high. He popped me down next to Amy, and Amy and I began walking up to the Coledale.
Walking into the Coledale was a huge relief. It was warm and it was dry. Amy and I perched awkwardly in the entrance so as not to drip allover. We waited for my parents and brother to arrive and went to go get showered and changed into dry clothes.