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

Leamington did its flooding thing last week - which isn't that unusual. It seems to be fairly common that a reasonably heavy downpour results in the closure (or at least, flooding of) of one of the main routes between Leamington and Warwick , so while it was inconvenient, I didn't think too much of it.

But this week's rain in South Yorkshire. Oh my . I've only seen the devastation on the news, and it feels kind of dreamlike. I'm used to Leamington flooding in heavy rain - that's almost normal - but Rotherham? I lived there 18 years, my parents have been there most of their lives, and none of us can ever, ever, remember anything like this happened before. Ever (just to press the point!).

My home town, and home area, is headline news. Tesco in Rotherham is *literally* under water; it's almost on an island in the river, you see. The Meadowhall centre is actually flooded. Parkgate is under water. Rotherham train station is under water. I'm also completely flabbergasted by the state of Catcliffe! Even Barnsley. And as for the threat to the Ulley reservoir...

If there was an area I thought would flood, those that have been affected this week wouldn't have been anywhere near the top of my list - or even on the list at all. I really am shocked by what's happened, because it's so unexpected. The scale of it has really taken me aback, too - the sheer amount of water flooding the streets is astonishing.

I feel mean, because there's been awful flooding down in Worcestershire and Gloucestershire (around the Severn) which I haven't worried about beyond thinking "oh, that's awful for them" - probably because the Severn often floods - but this event in the place I once called home has really knocked me.

I really feel for those who've been turfed out of their homes and are wondering exactly what devastation they'll go back to.

At the risk of sounding mean, I'm so, so glad my parents live on the top of a large hill, and my dad works in Wath, away from some of the worst flooding. Though my mum did comment this morning that if it rains much more, the hill they live on will end up an island .

Here's hoping the reservoir holds, that the forecast rain doesn't arrive and the floods recede, and that people will still have homes to go back to once it's all over.

Makes me whinging about the fact that last week the patio ended up under 3" of water pretty minor!

It's all very close to me as well, and my #1 son works at Marks & Sparks in the Sheffield train station which was evacuated at 1:55pm on Monday, (he was due to finish his shift at 2pm), then the pub they were all in started to flood, so they all went home. Thankfully he lives at the top of a hill,
I saw the aeriel view of Hillsborough swimming pool

And there's worse to come - this weekend a downpour is due

I saw the Meadowhall centre flooding on tv. Never seen anything like it in this country.

I spoke to mum and dad last night, and they're shocked by it - they themselves haven't been too affected, luckily. That said, they're having to go to a supermarket in Wath as they physically can't get to any of the other supermarkets in Rotherham .

I also found out one of my old friends is one of those who's been evacuated from Catcliffe, so her new house is probably under water .

I couln't believe it when I saw Hillsborough, and Meadowhall - the only word that springs to mind at the scale of it is "biblical" . It's just incomprehensible.

I was walking by the Severn at Bewdley two weeks ago and the water was very high (and VERY brown) and the next night it was on TV because the brown water was all down the streets. I noticed on TV that the BBC have lost interest in Worcestershire (probably because it floods fairly regularly) and have decamped all their reporters to Yorkshire.

According to one of the newspapers, Catcliffe flooded in 2004 so this isn't the 'first' that some parts of the media are making out. However, what is different about the flooding both in the Midlands and Yorkshire is that it doesn't usually happen in summer. Many of these places expect flooding in the winter but not in June.

It must be awful for the people who have had to be evacuated, particularly in the areas where the water is still not receding. I saw on the news yesterday that Yorkshire police are having to deal with people looting the houses that have been evactuated. Just how much of a scum bag would you have to be do loot a flooded house?

Lets hope the rain eases up soon. We're not flooded in my part of the country, but I'm still fed up with this wet weather. I can't even begin to imagine how peed off people in Yorkshire and the Midlands must be.

Apparently, the floods are receding and life is getting back to normal. Tesco in Rotherham has reopened, and apparently has lots of pictures up showing the mess the water left and the staff cleaning up. Meadowhall's partially reopened, but most of the shops in the lower level are still shut, apparently.

We get footage from Worcestershire all the time, but we get Midlands Today anyway - plus it's still quite bad in Gloucester and the surrounding areas. Looting is happening there, too. The trouble is, some people are just vultures who will take advantage of anyone else's trouble . They just don't care, because they don't have any empathy with anyone other than themselves. To be honest, I think they should have armed police out and threaten to shoot looters myself!