We have seen being reading this in our news in Boston. Prayers from here for the well-being of all of our British friends.

Thank you for asking Dido.
Things are rather damp here after rain every day for weeks. A near-by town (Pershore) had nearly 7 inches of rainfall on Friday!
We live by a very busy main road and from Friday it has been almost deserted, nor were there any trains on the Wales to all points north railway line that runs between us and the River Severn.
Our nearest small town is now without any water although we have an ancient rusty-piped 'private' water supply in our village so we are OK.
If you don't 'see' me around in the next few days it will mean our electricity has gone down
The flood water will probably arrive in the Severn Estuary on Tues or Wed and hopefully we are too far from the river bank to be inundated. It is heavy rain from the hills that is likely to come under the front door and leave a trail of mud and filth . . . as we found on our return from a recent holiday.
People in HOT areas might like to know that our temperatures are in the upper 50's and low 60's and we have had to light a fire each night.
The Salvation Army, the Red Cross, the RAF and even the Boy Scouts have been providing much help with everything from cups of tea to helicopter evacuation in Gloucester and Tewkesbury and a spirit of backs-to-the-wall this wont get us down seem to be prevailing.

Vee,

Just been watching it on BBC news. I've got a friend in Pershore....

Yes, it's chilly here too: we keep flicking the ch to come on at intervals. What a damn summer, eh?

Dido

We've been watching that on the news here; yikes. Didn't you guys just have flooding a few years back (or am I thinking of the big European flood)? Hope everyone stays safe.

I wish everyone in the UK the best of luck in staying safe and dry. I've been listening to the news on public radio and it sounds quite awful. Didn't you just have a bad drought last year?

Rosefolly

Yes, I've seen some really horrific photos in the news media of cars underwater, etc. It's hot and dry where I live, to the contrary. I will cease to complain of our humidity and heat. I cannot imagine building a fire in high summer! As I wrote to a friend, I now know why the Brit swear by their "Wellies."

Dido, I hope you are keeping your Dragon dry and well-fed. ;-) By the way, you mentioned Rouen. I thought she lived in the U.S. (unless she has moved).

My sister Rouan does live in the US, upstate New York. I suspect Rouen (spelled with an E) must be someone else.

Rosefolly

Stay safe, you all.

I've been thinking about you, too, as I read the news and pray this is over soon.

Good luck to all of you and stay safe. I still have vivid memories of 14 months ago, when my little corner of New England (North of Boston, Massachusetts, USA) suffered from torrential rains and we had flooding, flooding, flooding. Ducks were floating down my street, which was impassable. I hope things will improve and everyone will come through it well.

Mary,

The incessant rain keeps putting the dragon's fire out so he's not in the best of tempers at the moment. Thinking of lending him to the English for a while, partly to get some peace from his constant roaring, and partly because he might just manage to turn some water into steam - if not into.... (sorry) thereby minimising, if only minimally, the flooding.

Rosefolly, sorry, I've got confused - and sorry to have spelt Rouan's name wrongly - I was in the place called 'Rouen' in France just recently and obviously mixed things up.

Had a good day here today, sunshine! But more rain forecast. It's coming from the Pacific Ocean, apparently. Thames is due to 'peak' at high tide tonight which puts in jeopardy much of Berkshire....

Dido

I should like to thank all friends here at RP, and even other sites, who have sent emails. It is a great boost to get these messages and just goes to show what a civilised lot we all are here.
The news this morning is that Oxford will be the next major city to have flooding.
Yesterday (Tuesday) was the first day for more than a month with a rainless 24 hours in this area.
Dido, I think your Dragon could be hired out as an 'Acme -Rent-a-Quick-Dryer-Upper' of flooded property. His breath would disguise the dreadful pong of sewage and river water.
The citizens of Gloucester were shown on the TV news fighting over the supplies of bottled water and vandals have trashed some water 'bowsers' (small tankers) set-up on street corners (despite its ancient Cathedral City appearance it is quite a rough place). No reports of stealing from flooded homes as happened in Yorkshire a few weeks ago. Both the big county hospitals in the area are without water and are relying on stuff brought in by tanker.

Dido, I now know more about the Jet Stream than I thought possible. Apparently at this time of the year it is usually way up over Scandinavia dropping rain on the Swedish forests but now seems stuck over Northern France and Great Britain.

Our garden has been badly hit by the wet. The spuds have blight soon to be followed by the tomatoes, the peas got mildew, the strawberries were covered in mould, the roses were bashed down, but the weeds and the lawn are lapping it up.

Vee,

My dragon's breath might disguise all you say, but what would it deposit in its place? You don't know! 'Uch y fi' is all I can sayi! ('Yuk!' is a fair translation)

Anyway, yesterday, we too had wall-to-walll sunshine and, after a damp start, today is turning up trumps; but Berkshire and the Thames Valley as well as Oxford are still in severe danger later today from the Thames flooding. I have many friends in those areas. Here, the river Tawe was looking pretty brimful as we passed over it earlier where it flows through the golf course. When we got back to Pontardawe, however, it was still safely tucked into its culvert.

Dido

I've been reading the flooding reports on the BBC website. How awful! Please all keep safe, I'm wishing for sunny weather to come your way.

winging my thoughts and prayers across the pond that you all keep safe. the news pictures over here have been dreadful.

I loved a quote I read from a woman in her 90s (albeit she seems a little confused about the source of the flooding....)

"They didn't get me to go when they bombed us, and they're not going to wash me out either. I've got my wellies." That's the spirit!
Take care and keep dry. You are in our thoughts.

I heard back from anyanka, who is okay so far.

Yes -- do keep your wellies, macs, brollies and hipwaders nearby! Plus the usual torches etc. And a flask or two of tea (or perhaps something a tad more bracing!!)

Keep Safe -- and as dry as possible! :)

An update: the sun is shining but it already feels like Autumn and the water levels have gone down leaving many homes with layers of sludge and a terrible smell.
Many of the shopping and tourist area have been badly hit as, without a water supply pubs, bars, cafes and shops had to remain closed. Even our mobile library had not been able to pick up its supply of 'new' books from the city HQ.
We hear that water is now more or less reconnected everywhere but it is still not suitable for drinking or cooking . . . only washing and flushing.
Farmers, both arable and dairy are not happy as much of their harvest has rotted and even in this area where the fields look green and healthy, underfoot is still a quagmire and far too wet for tractors, harvesters and so on to get onto the ground without damaging the soil.
I didn't know until I heard it on the BBC that there is never any insurance cover for crops . . . only the hardware . . . machinery, tools, vehicles, buildings, houses and their contents.
Btw we have seen the terrible pictures on TV of the bridge-collapse over the Mississippi. Does this mean that all other bridges of similar design must be checked?

Glad to hear things are returning to normal for you.

Until we learn what caused the bridge failure we may not know what to check for. Bridges are inspected on a regular basis and while the last inspection wasn't stellar and recommended maintenance, it wasn't seen as an immediate threat. The bridge, while not of an unusual design, is still not common so the rest of us aren't driving around in fear. An architect in my reading group and I were discussing it last night between arguments over whether Kitty should have told Walter that the baby was his (Maugham's The Painted Veil.) We agreed that the failure looked mostly like what we see in earthquakes. My money is on some unique combination of harmonics set up by the long span, the traffic, and the jackhammering leading to fatigue at the vulnerable stress points at the end of the span leading to sudden failure. There may have been no indications prior to the collapse. I haven't done vibration analysis involving large structures in years, but I do remember it being more of an art than a science. Modern computers may have changed all that by now, so we could know what happened soon. But I doubt it.

veer, people have been warning about our infrastructure for years. Its not a surprise this happened, only when it would be. I know our governor has ordered an inspection of all freeway bridges in the state. Sad that it took a tragedy...

SPOILERS BELOW

> over whether Kitty should have told Walter that the baby was his (Maugham's The Painted Veil.)

Given their relationship at that moment, I'm not surprised she did. She didn't like him, didn't care how much she hurt him. She was basically a spoiled princess. Our biggest discussion was why they got married in the first place.

BTW did any of the group see the movie. Its rather different - there she falls back in love with Walter, and basically brushes off Charlie when she runs into him in London. There was no rendevous in Hong Kong. Also the book makes clear that Walter's death was suicide, the movie doesn't. A bit of Hollywood touch up, but still a decent adaptation.

>pictures on TV of the bridge-collapse over the Mississippi Our DS has a condo about half a mile from the bridge collapse. There was a popular biking trail that ran under the bridge and along the river, which DS often biked after work - thankfully he didn't ride the trail that evening. Cell phones were jammed as people tried to reach one another in the downtown MPLS area - fortunately we got through to DS, and didn't have to experience the dreadful anxiety of waiting to hear that all was well. We are counting our blessings.

thyrkas, I'm glad your son is OK and dreadful as the accident was considering the busy time of day in seems amazing that more people were not injured.

Just to add to the fun and games that have beset us this 'Summer' we now hear that an outbreak of what we call Foot and Mouth disease has been confirmed on a Surrey (S of London) farm.
It zipped through the UK about 7 years ago, not helped by our Govts feeble response to the emergency. It wasn't until the Army was called in that the situation came under control.
I realise little impact is felt by those not living in a rural environment, but many farmers were forced out of business and the sight and smell of huge pyres of burning cattle and driving behind a truck dripping with carcasses will long remain with me.
Even the few pet animals, including Sweetie the Sheep and her lambs at our younger son's Special School were slaughtered . . . luckily when the kids were at home.

Yikes veer, you guys really have had a hell of a summer

BTW, chris, I was not thinking which thread I was in - lets move that conversation over to the August reads

Oh re bridges - heard on the news that the governor of Minnesota has been fighting any tax hikes to pay for things like infrastructure. Granted most of the transportation money does come from the federal government, but still - some comes from state, and some might have averted this tragedy. Wonder if he is going to have a change of heart

I've only just caught up with the bridge - didn't see a news at all yesterday. It really is a miracle that there weren't more casualties - at that time of day, too, as Vee says.

And Vee - catching up with the US news, I saw the Foot and Mouth outbreak as well. Not again, surely? It's a horrifying prospect. How can it happen again?

(Cindydavid, I did wonder what that was about - you made me quite disorientated for a bit....)

Dido

I saw the headlines on Hoof and Mouth, as we call it here, and wandered when the apocalypse was scheduled. Not bad enough that your crops are ruined, but then the cattle once again suspect! Thank goodness for global trade, huh?

Cindy, not only that but did you hear they've halted the start of construction on the nearby $1.1B Twins stadium, 2/3 of that money from public funds? And built on land taken by eminent domain at that? I cannot imagine the outrage up there right now. That said, the video of the bride failing looked very like earthquake failure to me, with the middle span dropping cleanly as one piece. (no, I'm not suggesting an earthquacke, just vibrations I talked of earlier.) This may well have been a sudden failure with no previous symptoms. Corrosion or wear is unlikely to have been so symmetrical on both sides of the bridge that each end of the span failed at the same time. Strange.

We are in a drought here in Tidewater. Our temps are in the upper nineties to over 100. 99 today, 101 coming up mid week. Not fun! The trees think it is fall already and are dropping their leaves. Certain varieties are dying; dogwoods do not do well in drought and heat. On the otherhand, good news for oenophiles! Our viticulture in Virginia ought to have a splendid year. According to the experts, grapes love the dry weather!