RETRO: Sheffield flooding through the ages

After examining the gale force winds which have battered Sheffield through the decades, Retro's weather theme this week turns to flooding.
Floodpl: Firefighters rescue OAP's from EcclesfieldFloodpl: Firefighters rescue OAP's from Ecclesfield
Floodpl: Firefighters rescue OAP's from Ecclesfield

Although we all remember the destructive floods of 2007, the city has actually been hit by flooding many times with varying degrees of seriousness in the past few decades.

In 1979, Brightside suffered flooding which closed roads. In another photograph from 1979, Manchester Road in Stocksbridge is awash, with residents doing their best with sandbags.

The Common,Ecclesfield outside the Police StationThe Common,Ecclesfield outside the Police Station
The Common,Ecclesfield outside the Police Station
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Another photograph shows a road connecting Sheffield and Rotherham in 1970 being beset with water in scenes very similar to those of 2007. According to the record books, the worst flooding in the 1970s was in 1973, when about five inches of rain fell in one day.

That was the worst since 1864, when a dam at Low Bradfield burst, and 700 million gallons of water poured into Hillsborough, destroying 800 homes and killing 270 people.

Thankfully, 2007 was not as destructive as that, although it remains the worst flooding since. Hillsborough was left under six feet of water, two died and RAF helicopters were called in to help.

After work on sluice gates and flood defences, hopefully there won’t be a repeat.