h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

We all got sent home from w*rk early, although I was one of the last to leave for various reasons. There was what could only be described as one mother of a storm over Swinton this lunchtime, to the point that the drains couldn't cope. The office got flooded out due to what appears to be an open drain in the training room, Bob knows why there's an open drain in there but it certainly explains some of the smells coming from in there over the past three years. Not pleasant at all.

Thankfully we managed to put the Level 10 Emergency Procedures (read: make something up on the spot) into action, saved the server from a premature watery grave and got it all nicely moved in at the branch next door. At least now the 10 branches will hopefully be able to continue as if nothing has happened, which is more than could be said a few hours ago. Nowt much else can be done there today, we're going to assess the damage properly in the morning. My guess is it's not going to be pretty.

The same people are flooding as were three weeks ago, apparently.

We managed to get away with it during the bad weather, this I think was just a thunderstorm in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Wasn't it spectacular though! One of our staff got stranded in the butty shop just down from us, they didn't dare open the door. The cellar at our place has flooded but no danger to any of us, it's a common occurence so we've got a pump down there, these old buildings were built for these type of happenings.

The girl I work with has a partner who works in Hull during the week and when she rang him to tell him about the storm, he told her that what lasted ~20 mins for us Croz? went on for 24 hours over there!

Getting flooded is no fun Especially if the water has come up from drains that couldn't cope rather than the creek that inundated Cheapo in the Great Flood of Ought-One. If you're running electrical and electronic machinery in there I reckon the company is going to have to stump up for some professional cleaning and drying, not the shovels, mops, squeegees and wet/dry vac that we had to wield six years ago.

It's mostly computers, filing cabinets and other administration gubbins. Since the building management for the whole complex is utter my money is firmly on the mop since that's what we were trying to fight it back with.

No way could we have coped with an hour of that, never mind a full day. Salford branch would have been dead never mind us in Area office.

If the Manchester Evening News reports rain totals for today, let us know - I'd be interested to find out what they are.

Must have made a fine pond for Zak to swim in. If he dared to dip his foot into sewage.

Work's right next to the River Don and we were badly flooded a few weeks ago. They brought professional cleaners in to sort it out but there's still sludge around the building to slip and slide in when it rains. For a few days aferwards I was doing Bambi impressions attempting to stand up straight.

Good luck with the clean up op.

>> If the Manchester Evening News reports rain totals for today, let us know <<

If the Manchester Evening News reports rain, surely it must be very serious rain! I mean, doesn't it rain there every day anyway?

Good luck with the cleanup, hope it doesn't cause loads of extra work for you for no thanks, reward, acknowledgment etc.

RF

My friend ended up with three inches of water in her garage today with that storm. Luckily, as we live on a hill, all we got was a garden full of hailstone.

Gotta feel sorry for those down the hill tho.

Have you got your office back to some level of (relative) normality Footy?

The four departments and canteen on ground floor have all been emptied and are still being cleaned up. We've been told it'll be another month before everyone can move back downstairs.

How did it look this morning?

12 dead PCs (most of which were either due for replacement or were here because they had recently replaced one elsewhere), 1 dead server (thankfully not the main one otherwise we'd be in deep crapola), going to need new carpets throughout and a load of extension cables.

Surprisingly my boss and I have busted a gut today and got us back up to as good as full strength. Sure a few meetings will have to be postponed or relocated to other offices, but that's not an IT problem.

Gawd I don't half feel crap now though. I'm dosed up to the eyeballs in hot lemon.

s for you matey, nothing worse than a summer cold. Here, have some nice hot Earl Grey - it tastes much better than that Lemsip malarkey and does you more good in my opinion

I dunno I've had it for over a week now and it's still no better. Meh, carry on regardless I guess.