Flood 2009 Derwent Cocker Main Street Gote Flooded

Flood 2009 - Derwent & Cocker - Main Street - Gote - Flooded

2009 Flood Menu

2009 Nov 19^th 537 properties flooded

2009 November 537 properties flooded:

Cockermouth is highly prone to flooding with 15 flood events recorded since detailed records began in 1761. The town, at the confluence of the Rivers Cocker and Derwent, is prone to flooding due to the natural topography of the area. Flooding occurred most recently in 2005, 2008 and 2009.

At the time, the November 2009 event produced the highest recorded flow in both the River Cocker and the River Derwent. It occurred following torrential rainfall with one month’s average rainfall falling on the 19th November 2009. The impacts of the 2009 storm were worsened by flows peaking on both rivers at almost the same time.

The water level recorded in the River Cocker in December 2015 did not reach the level experienced in 2009. In the 2009 event, the peak level in the River Cocker reached 4.970m, roughly 0.5m higher than in 2015 level of 4.476m both recorded at South Street footbridge in Cockermouth. As such, the area of Cockermouth at risk from the Cocker only, experienced less severe flooding in 2015 compared to the 2009 event.

The impacts of the 2015 flooding were also lessened by the improvements to defences in the south of the town following the 2009 event.

Source: https://www.cumbria.gov.uk/eLibrary/Content/Internet/536/6181/42774103411.pdf page 8 with tables

2009 November 19th & 2015 Cockermouth Flooding

Click this link to see Cockermouth.org.uk explanation and photos

On the afternoon of November 19 2009 both the Rivers Derwent and Cocker swept through thousands of homes and businesses in the town centre of Cockermouth. Heavy rainfall was the main cause but rivers had been un-dredged for years and a relief archway at Gote Bridge (added after an earlier traumatic flood) was partially silted up when the floods struck. The emergency services assisted by RNLI, Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Rotary Clubs and other volunteers ensured nobody died in the town. Many shops and pubs now (2010) display marks showing the height of the waters reached. Despite costly subsequent flood defences (part paid by local residents) there was major flooding again in December 2015.