In 1872, this was proven to be the case. The translation of script on an ancient Mesopotamian stone tablet revealed people had indeed been writing tales about flooding long before the story in Genesis. The Flood Tablet, as it became known, formed part of the great Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the earliest written stories. In the wake of Darwinism, it threw Victorian theologians into more panic as to the origins of the Bible’s "truths". Flood stories that warn us of danger Inspired by the real-life catastrophic floods of 1607, in which some 2,000 people in South-West England and South Wales perished, I soon realised I was writing a classic flood narrative. Yes, the water represented danger, a threat to life. It was also a barrier: it isolated people for good and bad reasons. The flooding pushed characters to physical and emotional extremes, it made them reassess their priorities and challenge their beliefs.

One such episode was the Great Flood of 1607, recorded in the chronicle. The flood is currently being studied by Rose Hewlett, the article’s third author, who notes that the height of the water can still be seen on flood markers in churches around the estuary. Read More Related Articles The speed of the wave appears to have been faster than a storm flood as the wave is ‘affirmed to have runne with a swiftness so incredible, as that no gray-hounde could have escaped by running before them’. Surviving evidence of the tsunami Professor Simon Haslett from Bath Spa University said there was currently no tsunami warning system in place. By contrast, something massive is needed to create waves with such a great height in the case of a mega-tsunami. Unlike usual tsunamis, mega-tsunamis are caused by giant landslides and other impact events such as volcanic eruptions or huge asteroids crashing into the sea. These phenomena rapidly displace large volumes of water, as energy from falling debris or expansion is transferred to the water." What Sir David King says But Sir David King explained that in the case of tsunamis, 'the shallower the waters are, the larger the wave will get'. Once the tsunami passes through the English Channel and into the Thames Estuary, it will grow in size and cause destruction in the city. The same is true for the Bristol Channel, meaning locations along the North Somerset coast will also be hit. What is a mega tsunami? And how is it different to 'normal' tsunamis?

Reality of UK flooding

UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth . Retrieved 11 June 2022. You can't really imagine what it must have been like other than the human tragedy of it. Quite catastrophic and how they dealt with it is quite amazing," he said. Carroll shows how ignorance (of science), fear and greed led to blaming people who acted or looked a little different for everything that was wrong in this society. By accusing those less fortunate or less powerful and creating public spectacles, many influential men were able to turn the public gaze away from their dubious land-grabbing, economic and expansionist tendencies. On the Somerset Levels, the sea went inland as far as Glastonbury. In South Wales, the water was so powerful it washed away half the church by the river in Cardiff.

In our ever-warming, ever-changing planet it’s probable flooding will become more frequent. And if there’s one thing the tropes of ancient stories can teach us,it’s that the responsibility is on us all. The village of Brean was washed away, as were many others all along the coast of North Somerset. Anywhere low-lying was inundated with sea water, and hundreds - probably thousands of people died on both sides of the Channel.In the marsh country about Aust and Henbury, the flood was so high that it could not all run off again, but remained a fathom deep, and the people on the trees could not come down, but remained there two or three days.” Bryant, Edward; Haslett, Simon (2002). "Was the AD 1607 Coastal Flooding Event in the Severn Estuary and Bristol Channel (UK) Due to a Tsunami". Archaeology in the Severn Estuary (13): 163–167. ISSN 1354-7089. Emma Carroll brings her own Somerset countryside vividly to life in this enthralling tale and you can even detect the West Country tones of her spirited young heroine, Fortune Spicer, as you read. Fair Maidens Lane, where she lives, is a successful hamlet running well, despite an absence of men. But as the story opens a matriarch is arrested. An atmosphere of suspicion is spreading across the land from King James’ obsession with witches and unscrupulous men are using this as a weapon for financial gain. Sent away by her mother, disguised as a boy for her own protection, Fortune ends up as a servant at Barrow Hall only to find a master even more against witches than the king, but also happy to exploit the opportunity to raise funds for a terrible new trade in human beings. When the natural disaster overtakes them all, Fortune survives, but must fight torture and a trial for witchcraft to prove she is not to blame for the flood. The claustrophobic atmosphere of male oppression, corruption and real menace is wonderfully well done, and Fortune is a redoubtable heroine learning to have faith in herself and to seek her own destiny. As with all her novels this author wears her research lightly but provides a genuine learning experience and a genuine feeling for the period and for the characters she brings so memorably to life.