480 Miscellaneouii — The Flooch at Norwich. 



of rain were recorded ; and this was followed by an additional fall of 

 1-31 inches on November 15. 



On August 26 and 27 of the present year the rainfall recorded at 

 Norwich by .Mr. A. W. Preston was as follows: — 



Inches. 

 August 26, 4 a.m. to 9 a.m. ..... 1"03 



,, ,, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ..... 5'56 



,, 26-7, 6 p.m. to 9 a.m '75 



Total . . 7-34 



Thus within one day there was a fall of more than 6|- inches of rain, 

 and in the course of twenty-nine hours no less than 1^ inches. 

 The weather has been described as a combination of a rain-storm and 

 gale or blizzard, such as liad never previously been recorded, and the 

 consequent floods eventually surpassed all previous records. It was 

 reckoned that the Parliamentary borough of Norwich, an area of 

 7,556 acres, received during about twenty hours more than five and 

 a half million tons of water. The country around was being 

 similarly deluged, and the results were that the low-lying portions 

 of the city were soon flooded. By 3 o'clock on Tuesday afternoon 

 (27th) the water had increased beyond the mark of the 1878 flood, 

 and ultimately rose 16 ft. 6| in. above Ordnance Datum. The 

 inundation of the streets arose at first, as is generally the case in 

 times of excessive rain, by the choking of drains and gullies by 

 rubbish and the pouring of water into cellars and basements of houses. 

 Moreover, owing to the high wind, the rain was driven under tiles 

 and slates, and few houses escaped some injury. The Wensum became 

 a roaring torrent, but did not until August 27 overflow its banks in 

 the city. The pressure of water in the sewers burst off the lids of 

 the manholes, and fountains of water were thus liberated. 



A considerable amount of earth was washed away from the Castle 

 Mound ; subsidences of ground took place here and there in the 

 neighbourhood of Norwich ; many roads have been reduced to a 

 deplorable condition, and it was reported that more than eighty county 

 bridges had been swept away or seriously damaged. The railways 

 suffered by inundation, by the slipping of banks and embankments, 

 and by the loosening of ballast, sleepers in places being washed away. 

 The inundations extended in force from the city to Hellesdon, between 

 the Dereham and Drayton roads, and elsewhere about Cringleford and 

 Lakenham. Trowse Churchyard was flooded, likewise many kitchen 

 gardens. Trees were blown down, and for a time the city was in 

 darkness owing to the failure of the electric light during the evening 

 of the 27th. The alluvial tracts bordering all the river valleys — 

 Wensum, Yare, Tase, Waveney, etc. — were extensively flooded ; and 

 in West Norfolk considerable areas of marshland were inundated. 

 The damage to farmers is most serious in the loss of live stock and 

 ruin of crops. The waters began to abate on August 28, but it is 

 yet early to estimate all the loss and damage which have been 

 incurred. 



For most of the above particulars we are indebted' to the Eastern 

 Daihj Press for August 27-9. 



