Laxey flooding

[Katman]

Glad to see they have removed the old sluice gate, that should have been done years ago. It had no real national importance.

Next obstruction down the river will be the bridge going into the large stone building which used to house the MER Powerstation.

[2bees]

I really don't know what the islanders expect of Howard Q - he's the chief minister not god, he cannot stop the rain or the rivers, he's just a man. I think people these days expect far too much from their politicians.

ETA when I was listening to the news yesterday I conjured several mental images of Howard in various roles, one was of him as Neptune towering above the river commanding it to stop, then there was him as Moses reversing the parting of the seas, then a Gandalfesque Howard "Laxey river, thou shall not pass!", I don't think his finger would be big enough for a little Dutch boy finger in the dike scene but he might be able to plug the flow by sitting in the hole. Howard saves the day.      

Edited October 4, 2019 by 2bees
Forgot the best bit...

[Donald Trumps]

We don't expect anything of him - we didn't appoint him

[TheTeapot]

MNH now denying it had anything to do with the old weir/sluice gate that the trees got caught behind.

[Numbnuts]

What we expect from Howard Quayle....Firstly get a grip of DOI ! Remove Harmer and whatever it takes sort the constant mess out that this dept continually causes . He's supposed to be the leader . Announce a 'independent ' enquiry into the Laxey mess and if necessary remove who's responsible. Accept responsibility , instead of his words that lessons will be learnt etc. They should have been after the lower bridge went . Some of the same issues as Tuesday . Make 100% sure that no resident on Glen road suffers financially if issues with insurance etc 

 

Edited October 4, 2019 by Numbnuts

[Non-Believer]

30 minutes ago, TheTeapot said:

MNH now denying it had anything to do with the old weir/sluice gate that the trees got caught behind.

Apart from apparently objecting to its removal for some time?

[thesultanofsheight]

1 hour ago, Katman said:

Glad to see they have removed the old sluice gate, that should have been done years ago. It had no real national importance.

Next obstruction down the river will be the bridge going into the large stone building which used to house the MER Powerstation.

I agree but now what’s the betting that next time it happens the weight of water will take the new bridge out now all controls and obstacles have been removed? . 

[TheTeapot]

16 minutes ago, Non-Believer said:

Apart from apparently objecting to its removal for some time?

That's the thing they're denying. MNH on FB if you want to read it.

[Ham_N_Eggs]

1 hour ago, Numbnuts said:

What we expect from Howard Quayle....Firstly get a grip of DOI ! Remove Harmer and whatever it takes sort the constant mess out that this dept continually causes . He's supposed to be the leader . Announce a 'independent ' enquiry into the Laxey mess and if necessary remove who's responsible. Accept responsibility , instead of his words that lessons will be learnt etc. They should have been after the lower bridge went . Some of the same issues as Tuesday . Make 100% sure that no resident on Glen road suffers financially if issues with insurance etc 

 

As the DoI has been a mess for years under numerous ministers it is not Harmer that needs to go but those who pull the strings behind the scenes.

[woolley]

16 hours ago, Rushen Spy said:

I'd be interested to know how the existence of a Garff "local government" has in any way helped the people of Garff who have been hit by flooding? What is the point of paying rates if central government are the ones sorting things out? If we did away with local government, everybody could pay less rates and see no reduction in service.

No way. Everything central government gets hold of costs ten times more. Full time, empire building civil servants versus unpaid commissioners and a single clerk.

[Max Power]

6 minutes ago, Ham_N_Eggs said:

As the DoI has been a mess for years under numerous ministers it is not Harmer that needs to go but those who pull the strings behind the scenes.

I think the DoI has become an uncontrollable monster and should be broken down into clear areas of responsibility. How is Harmer supposed to know every facet of what is going on all over the island? This is where the ministerial system becomes ridiculous, look at the DHSS, another out of control monster! I guess it gives Chief Executives a larger salary and pension, making them ever so important! 

[woolley]

I think there is only so much you can do against extreme conditions. Yes, you keep the river as clear as possible for the maximum flow. Yes, you build up banks and defences within reason. But that stretch of narrow river is collecting water from a massive catchment (in Island terms). I think flash floods under extremely intense deluge events are inevitable. There is so much that it has to go somewhere.

[woolley]

13 minutes ago, Max Power said:

I think the DoI has become an uncontrollable monster and should be broken down into clear areas of responsibility. How is Harmer supposed to know every facet of what is going on all over the island? This is where the ministerial system becomes ridiculous, look at the DHSS, another out of control monster! I guess it gives Chief Executives a larger salary and pension, making them ever so important! 

An old timer of Highways Board vintage approaching retirement told me that when he was young there was a manager and a few gang leaders in his division with about 20 workers under them. Latterly there were 10 managers and 10 workers.

[TheTeapot]

8 minutes ago, woolley said:

I think there is only so much you can do against extreme conditions. Yes, you keep the river as clear as possible for the maximum flow. Yes, you build up banks and defences within reason. But that stretch of narrow river is collecting water from a massive catchment (in Island terms). I think flash floods under extremely intense deluge events are inevitable. There is so much that it has to go somewhere.

If you sit outside The Shore on a nice summers evening it must be what, a 2m drop down to the river? It has already been engineered to take a lot of water. You've got to keep it clear for it to work.

[woolley]

Just now, TheTeapot said:

If you sit outside The Shore on a nice summers evening it must be what, a 2m drop down to the river? It has already been engineered to take a lot of water. You've got to keep it clear for it to work.

I do agree, of course. I did say that. But the amount of water that was dropped there in a couple of hours on already wet ground would overwhelm the channel whatever mitigation is in place.