20/07/07
Waking at 7-50 to the patter of gentle rain at Black Knowles caravan site in the New Forest we wern`t to upset because it was go home day.
By 10am as we pulled out it was starting to rain hard, by Lyndhurst it was 'uncomfortable' rain.
The M27 west bound to its junction with M3 steadily became worse and worse.. best speed for safety about 30mph.
On the M3 northbound to Basingstoke all sliproads leading off were backlogged so we had to carry on though even on the motorway speed was below 20 in places.
Mrs Popup had gone VERY quiet and my consentration was at 110% with hands locked onto the stearing wheel.
Pulling off the motorway at last we both let out a sigh of relief....
It lasted 1.5 miles till we 'hit' the 1st floods.
3 police diversions later we hit the A33 northbound to Reading.......utter chaos...
I guess we were lucky in some respects, a high ground clearense etc of the 4x4 and following a container lorry allowed us to negociate and plan(?) a safe route at about 10mph through behind him.
10 miles to the Swallowfield bypass through floods I would be carefull of solo let alone towing but we made it weaving round the abandoned cars best possible.
The byepass wasn`t to bad northbound but even so speed was in single figures and southbound was stationary due to an accident.
Hallfway up the byepass we turned left to our storage farm with its flooded farm yard and worried farmer.
Dumping the van ( rather than parking it)we had the 10 miles solo to get home.
By now Swallowfield byepass had been closed in both directions so it was back roads or nothing!.( A phone call to panic struck son at home meant we had to try to get to him)
Of those 10 miles home 7 miles at least were under 6 or more inches of water (thank God I know the roads well)
As we got to our village we saw that it to was'flooded' hense sons panic.
Indoors it was time to strip completely and dry off followed by a quiet 20 minutes just being thankfull to have suvived the journey.
Was the van wet insite from going through the floods?.. I honestly didn`t stop to look.. that can be done tomorrow.
The house stayed dry inside but water was lapping up the front drive towards it. Police and council started delivering sandbags during the evening
My only comments today are
THANK GOD THATS OVER!
Waking at 7-50 to the patter of gentle rain at Black Knowles caravan site in the New Forest we wern`t to upset because it was go home day.
By 10am as we pulled out it was starting to rain hard, by Lyndhurst it was 'uncomfortable' rain.
The M27 west bound to its junction with M3 steadily became worse and worse.. best speed for safety about 30mph.
On the M3 northbound to Basingstoke all sliproads leading off were backlogged so we had to carry on though even on the motorway speed was below 20 in places.
Mrs Popup had gone VERY quiet and my consentration was at 110% with hands locked onto the stearing wheel.
Pulling off the motorway at last we both let out a sigh of relief....
It lasted 1.5 miles till we 'hit' the 1st floods.
3 police diversions later we hit the A33 northbound to Reading.......utter chaos...
I guess we were lucky in some respects, a high ground clearense etc of the 4x4 and following a container lorry allowed us to negociate and plan(?) a safe route at about 10mph through behind him.
10 miles to the Swallowfield bypass through floods I would be carefull of solo let alone towing but we made it weaving round the abandoned cars best possible.
The byepass wasn`t to bad northbound but even so speed was in single figures and southbound was stationary due to an accident.
Hallfway up the byepass we turned left to our storage farm with its flooded farm yard and worried farmer.
Dumping the van ( rather than parking it)we had the 10 miles solo to get home.
By now Swallowfield byepass had been closed in both directions so it was back roads or nothing!.( A phone call to panic struck son at home meant we had to try to get to him)
Of those 10 miles home 7 miles at least were under 6 or more inches of water (thank God I know the roads well)
As we got to our village we saw that it to was'flooded' hense sons panic.
Indoors it was time to strip completely and dry off followed by a quiet 20 minutes just being thankfull to have suvived the journey.
Was the van wet insite from going through the floods?.. I honestly didn`t stop to look.. that can be done tomorrow.
The house stayed dry inside but water was lapping up the front drive towards it. Police and council started delivering sandbags during the evening
My only comments today are
THANK GOD THATS OVER!
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