The flow of the River Uck at Uckfield during the floods of October 2000 is shown in the hydrograph, which has an estimated peak flow at Uckfield of around 115 m3/s.
Uckfield Case Study: What was the hydrology of the 2000 flood event?
Flood Hydrograph from 9 to 18 October 2000
The flooding in October 2000 was influenced by the channel morphology of the River Uck. The channel of the River Uck changes in size and shape as it passes through Uckfield. As it flows into the town the river passes through a historic mill, flows under the town centre railway bridge and then under the High Street road bridge.
Upstream of Uckfield
- Upstream of the town, when the river channel capacity approaching the Mill is exceeded, the river flows onto the floodplain on the right bank through a bridge under the railway. This overland flow rejoins the main river channel at the railway station and the whole flow of the river passes under the High Street Bridge.
High Street area
- The flood plain ends abruptly behind the High Street shops. If there is too much water on the flood plain, when flow through the town reaches about 48m3/s, some water starts to flow down a passageway alongside the supermarket into the High Street.
- If the water flow continues to increase, the road drainage can no longer cope. Water then starts to pond up in the High Street and when the flow reaches about 55 m3/s it starts to flood the shops on either side.
- During a major flood, only a limited amount of water can flow under the High Street Bridge. The remainder flows across the High Street and down roads and passageways before eventually returning to the river.
Below High Street Bridge
- Below the High Street bridge the river channel continues for several hundred metres before entering a section that has been widened. Here a floodway with a much bigger capacity has been built alongside the normal river channel. In the 2000 flood all the floodwaters were able to flow back into the channel.
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