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The River Eden is in Cumbria in the northwest of England. Its source lies in the hills of the Pennines and its mouth is the Solway Firth, which opens into the Irish Sea. The catchment area has many tributaries with their source in the hills and mountains of the northwest. The watershed around the catchment area follows a line through the peaks of the Lake District and Pennines (map A).
The Lake District is one of the wettest parts of England, with annual rainfall up to 2800 mm, over three times the national average. Tributaries flow steeply downhill into the River Eden. The river then flows north along the Eden Valley, originally carved by glaciers during the Ice Age. The valley has a history of flooding, with the towns of Appleby, Penrith and Carlisle at greatest risk. Two tributaries - the River Caldew and River Petteril - both flow into the River Eden in Carlisle.
The River Eden has flooded twice in Carlisle in the twenty-first century. First, in 2005, over 1800 homes were flooded and three people died. It was described at the time as a ‘once in a hundred year’ event. Ten years later, in 2015, despite improved flood defences, Carlisle was flooded again. This time, even more homes were left without electricity. Have the lessons been learned since 2015, or could it happen again?
Carlise has a history of flooding that goes back to the 1700s. In recent years, there have been more floods - in 1963, 1968, 1979, 1980, 1894 - and, worst of all - the devastating floods of 2005 and 2015 (photo C).
What happened during the 2005 flood?
The flood in January 2005 was the worst in Carlisle that people could remember. It came after a month of heavy rain had saturated the ground, so no more water could be absorbed. More rain fell from 6 - 8 January, with two months’ worth of rain in 24 hours. Water levels in the River Eden rose rapidly to a record high level.
The first flood warning to local people came from the Environment Agency at 5 p.m. on 7 January and further warnings came early the next day. The water came from all directions, not just the river. Initial flooding came from surface water as the local drainage network was overwhelmed. The sewage system also flooded, creating health risks.
The water flooded parts of the city close to the River Eden, including the civic centre, industrial and residential areas, as well as the city’s parks (map D). Three people died, 1800 homes were flooded and the cost of the flood was estimated at £400 million. It took a year for many people to move back into their homes. In the meantime, they had to stay in hotels or live with relatives. Some elderly people died during that time and never returned to their homes.
What happened during the 2015 flood?
In December 2015, Storm Desmond brought winds and heavy rain to much of the UK. The worst hit area was northwest England, with the highest 24-hour rainfall in the UK ever recorded in the Lake District. 341 mm of rain fell on 5 December, the entire average monthly rainfall for December in one day.
Flood defences in Carlisle had been improved after the 2005 floods to withstand water levels in the River Eden up to 7.2 metres above normal. In 2015, water levels rose by 7.9 metres on 6 December, so the city was flooded again! This time, the flooding was even worse.
3,500 homes in Carise flooded
1,500 bridges in Cumbria had to be checked for damage, with some needing to be repaired.
45,000 homes in northwest England had their electricity cut off.
What were the reasons for the flooding?
Flooding in Carlisle has become more frequent in recent years and seems to be getting worse. Reasons for the flooding include:
Carlisle lies at the confluence of the River Eden with two other rivers - the Caldew and Petteril - making flooding likely after heavy rain (graph E).
Over the years, building on the floodplain in Carlisle has left many buildings vulnerable to floods, including the civic centre.
Rivers have not been properly managed, so that silt and gravel have built up in the river channel and subsequently water levels have risen.
Over hundreds of years, forests have been cleared from hillsides in the Eden catchment area and replaced by farmland, so rainfall drains quickly into the river.
Rainfall patterns are changing as a result of climate change, with heavier, more intense rainfall in winter.
After the floods in 2015, the Environment Agency made further improvements to flood defences in Carlisle. In 2020, another storm hit the UK - Storm Ciara. Carlisle was on the verge of flooding again. Parks and playing fields near the river flooded, but this time the buildings escaped damage. Water levels in the River Eden rose 6 metres above normal, less than the 7.9 metres in 2015. No one can be certain that Carlisle will not be flooded again in the future.
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