Caravan Park Flooding
 
An un-biased report by Marche Industries Ltd - July 21st 2007 floods affecting Stratford-upon-Avon area
 

Many are aware of the devastating damage caused by recent flooding, media coverage has concentrated more on domestic and commercial areas rather than the leisure industry, so the damage caused is not generally known unless you are personally involved.

The concerns of many Park Owners affected by the floods is the possibility of customers not returning! To this end we have been working together with
various Park Owners to help solve many of the problems to create as trouble
free environment as is possible.

We have been installing flotation devices to caravans and lodges for over 10 years, but unfortunately we are only able to assess or improve the systems when the Park is actually in flood, this is when we can experience the issues relating to water flow, floating debris and the way the caravan or lodge reacts under these conditions.

On Sunday 22nd July to 25th July 2007 we were active on caravan parks in Stratford-upon-Avon/Tewkesbury/Evesham and Milton Keynes surveying the units in up to 6ft of flood water to thoroughly assess the effects.

The survey proved that in all cases the flotation devices had been 100% successful in preventing water damage to the units, although some minor damage was caused to certain caravans by floating debris/gas bottles/ trees etc. Some of which had lodged under the units preventing the decent of the unit properly, but still no damage was sustained. The information gathered during these site visits will be acted on to provide improvements to the systems and also extra systems to contain gas bottles, storage boxes etc.

Floating Debris

As this picture shows although the flow or current has subsided the debris had caused damage in colliding with caravans. Also in some cases the floating bottles had ripped the regulators from the caravans and gas was leaking. The floating benches perhaps needed to be fixed to the ground.

We intend to redesign our gas storage boxes for the bottles to be clamped inside the box and the box to be clamped to the caravan, enabling them to rise and fall with the flotation.
 
Left - The green caravan in the foreground  can be seen floating quite comfortably and safely while the ones to its left without flotation are well and truly sunk!

This particular caravan as actually descended approximately 4ft yet is still 3ft from the base.

Right - Again flotation fitted to the unit on the left of picture, floating happily and safely. Units to the right without flotation totally wet and scrap!

 

 
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Left - Two vans in centre of picture floating, all other vans without flotation damaged. The floating caravan to the right has a gas bottle trapped underneath which would prevent the successful descent although it was found later no damage had been caused

Right - Touring vans where swept away and smashed into each other. Other floating debris in picture. These caravans had sustained more damage than is actually visual.

We have now been approached to manufacture a portable flotation system for touring caravans and motor homes. We feel we can achieve this quite successfully.
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Left - this picture shows the owner had purchased a balcony which he felt necessary to fix to the caravan to stabilise. In doing so this could seriously have jeopardised the efficiency of the flotation. Luckily the balcony broke away.

Right - The last picture shows to avoid flooding the caravans have been raised precariously high. Even so the flood water was actually 3ft high “inside” the caravan. It is noticeable the only storage box intact in the middle of the picture as not moved, is not damaged and is manufactured by ourselves