The Devon town of Topsham is sited on the Exe estuary, and was
formerly a major seaport and shipbuilding centre. In modern times, the extended
river frontage has made the town a desirable residential
location, with nearly a mile of riverside development that includes many
historic streets, individual houses, and businesses.
The
river-front of Topsham, however, is less than a metre above river
level at normal high tide, and it's extremely vulnerable to flooding when certain factors
coincide: spring tide, a high volume of water coming down the Exe from
rain upstream, low barometric pressure, and onshore winds.
These
factors came together in the notorious storms of early February 2014;
and while Topsham did not suffer the catastrophic damage seen by towns
on the coast such as Dawlish, there was nevertheless significant
flooding of several streets near the Quay, and damage to the Riversmeet
sea wall and the popular Goat Walk path.
This emphasised the need for a coordinated approach to flood hazards in the town, both to provide advance warning to home and business owners, and to help access to individual and collective measures - such as sandbags and flood boards - to protect buildings should flooding arise.
