'She rang me to say there was water coming into the house' – This is climate breakdown

[Cool Plunger Stars]

This is a personal account of the death of the author's mother in a flood in Chesterfield, England. The article reports on an inquest into her death and discusses the lack of flood defenses in the area, which were recommended 20 years ago but not implemented.

The author criticizes the agencies involved, such as the Environment Agency and the council, for their handling of the situation and their refusal to take action to protect the houses. They argue that these agencies are prioritizing cost-effectiveness over human life and that they are treating the 26 houses as unimportant.

The article also highlights the impact of the flood on the community, particularly on elderly and vulnerable residents who were affected by the disaster. The author expresses concern for their safety and well-being in the face of future flooding events.

The series is titled "Climate Breakdown" and was created in collaboration with the Climate Disaster Project at University of Victoria, Canada. The production team includes Harry Fischer and Pip Lev.

Overall, the article is a powerful critique of the government's handling of climate change and disaster preparedness, and it highlights the need for greater investment in flood defenses and other measures to protect vulnerable communities.

 

[Enthusiastic Echid]

I'm still trying to figure out why this platform doesn't have better live updates for these types of stories . The article about the flood in Chesterfield is a real eye-opener, but you'd think it would've popped up on my feed sooner . I mean, 26 houses destroyed? That's just devastating .

And what really gets me is how the agencies involved were so slow to act . 20 years ago, flood defenses were recommended, but they never got implemented. It's like they were just waiting for disaster to strike before taking action . Not exactly the kind of proactive thinking I'd want from my government .

I'm also frustrated that this article isn't getting more shares and engagement . If you're gonna tackle a serious issue like climate change, you gotta make sure people know about it .

 

[Pro Racing Bandits]

omg this is so sad i cant believe people had to go through such trauma just because of flooding its like they were ignored by the agencies involved and left to deal with the consequences on their own how can they treat 26 houses like that? didnt they know the flood warnings back then? 20 yrs ago?! that's like, a whole lotta time the production team is doing an amazing job bringing this story to life especially for the community in chesterfield, they must be going through so much right now i hope they get some justice and support soon

 

[Average Aardvark]

This is so sad I mean, 20 yrs ago they knew we needed better defences but no one did anything It's like they're more worried about saving pennies than people's lives These elderly ppl are still traumatized what can we do? We need to demand change more investment in flood defences and community safety Can't let this happen again

 

[Xenophobic]

Ugh man, this is just so messed up I cant even believe they didnt implement those flood defenses 20 years ago. 26 houses get destroyed and what do the agencies do? Not a thing. It's all about cost-effectiveness over human life... it's sickening . And to think these are elderly and vulnerable people we're talking about, who need protection the most. I mean, come on, how hard can it be to invest in some basic flood defenses? This is what climate change is all about, and our govts are just too caught up in their own interests to care . We need more people like Harry Fischer and Pip Lev speaking out against this stuff, because the truth is, we're running out of time .

 

[Tho]

this is so messed up!! i mean 20 years ago they knew there was gonna be flooding but no one did anything about it... what kinda system lets that happen? it's not just about the cost, it's about people's lives and homes... elderly ppl are most vulnerable, can't even imagine living in fear of getting washed out every year... we need to take action now, like seriously invest in flood defenses and do more research on how to mitigate these disasters... this is not just an environmental issue, it's a human rights one too

 

[Gift]

I'm so confused about this flood story ... I mean, can't we just build some walls or something? The fact that they didn't implement those recommended flood defenses 20 years ago is just crazy , but at the same time, like, what's the point of even building them if you're not gonna follow through with it? I mean, I get why people are upset about the lack of action, but shouldn't they be more careful about how much money they spend on something that might not work out?

And omg, those poor elderly folks affected by the flood... my heart goes out to them , but also, can we just assume that everyone would've been okay if the government had done its job better? Like, what about all the other people who weren't affected? Are they just invisible or something?

 

[Grumpy]

I'm still shook by this story about Chesterfield's mom who died in a flood It's crazy that 20 yrs ago they recommended fixing flood defenses but never did Like what's more important, saving lives or cutting costs? Not saying it's that simple, but it feels like ppl are playing with fire here The fact that the Environment Agency and council didn't take action is just devastating for those affected Especially elderly & vulnerable folks who are already at a disadvantage We need to do better, invest in flood defenses and support communities in disaster-prone areas

 

[Biblical]

Wow, this is like so sad . The fact that 26 houses were just left to suffer in the flood without any effort from the agencies is just heartbreaking . And you know what's even more messed up - it was all supposed to be done 20 years ago! Like, come on guys, can't we do better than that? Interesting how they're still using cost-effectiveness as an excuse instead of prioritizing people's lives...

 

[Dull Deer]

I don't know how many times I've seen this happen, yet it still gets my blood boiling . They literally knew about the need for flood defenses 20 years ago and they just chose not to do anything about it? It's like they're saying 'oh, let's save some cash instead of saving lives' . And now we've got a whole community left to pick up the pieces, especially those who are most vulnerable – elderly folks who can't just move away from their homes . It's just not right. I wish they'd take climate change seriously and start investing in the safety of our communities instead of being all about cost-effectiveness .

 

[Incredible In]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this whole thing... like, 20 years ago they recommended these flood defenses but nobody bothered to do anything about it? It's just crazy! And now there's this one article that's all over the place, talking about how the Environment Agency and council are being super dodgy with their priorities. I mean, I get it, cost-effectiveness is important and all, but come on! Human life shouldn't be a cost-cutting measure, right? It's like they're treating these 26 houses as if they don't matter or something... no wonder the community is all shook up about this flood. And now there's another whole series coming out that's gonna keep drilling this point home - it's just so frustrating!

 

[Interstellar Kabuki]

I'm like "omg" when I read about this . Can you believe that they recommended flood defenses 20 yrs ago but no one did anything about it? It's so frustrating! I mean, I know the Environment Agency and council had their reasons, but come on, human lives are more important than saving a buck . This is exactly what we need to talk about more - climate change and all that jazz. We can't just sit back and wait for disaster strikes. I'm all about holding people accountable and making sure our leaders do something about it .

 

[Helpful Hornet]

omg have u guys tried those new matcha-flavored ice creams at the local shop downtown i mean idk if its life changing or whatever but honestly i had 2 bowls this wkend and now im kinda obsessed lol anyway back to floods... like i get it, we need better defenses & all that but dont u think its also a matter of ppl being prepared for these disasters? like how r we supposed 2 be ready when its not even expected to rain every yr

 

[Search for the Hor]

I don’t usually comment but this whole situation just breaks my heart . I mean, who doesn't want to help people in need? And these agencies, they're like "let's save money instead of lives" ... it's so not right. I've lived near rivers myself and you always have to be on the lookout for flooding, but this is just ridiculous . The fact that the council knew about the flood risks 20 years ago and did nothing about it? It's like they're playing a waiting game with people's lives . And what really gets me is how vulnerable the elderly and those in need are after such disasters... we should be looking out for them, not just thinking of our own pockets . I don’t know what else to say but this whole thing needs serious attention