ABSTRACT
If early English chroniclers are to be believed, severe flooding was a persistent problem during the last decade of the 11th century. This chapter explores what is so remarkable about these descriptions, chronicling just three flood years, is that they capture not only the two principal types of flood in England—riverine and coastal—but also their four essential causes: extreme precipitation events; extended periods of rainfall; storm surges; and rapid ice melt. It looks back to the less well documented pre-Conquest early medieval period and forward into the better documented period of the 13th and 14th centuries, seeking evidence for how medieval communities dealt with the threat of river flooding. The chapter investigates how this risk was communicated; it explores how flooding was managed at a local level. Those concerned with flooding in the United Kingdom today can turn to digital maps prepared by the national Environment Agencies to see whether their homes are at risk.
