On August 16, 2004, the village of Boscastle in Cornwall, England suffered a devastating flash flood. Over 6cm of rain fell in just two hours, causing over 3 million liters of water to rush suddenly through the village, damaging buildings, cars, and infrastructure. The flood waters blocked bridges and overwhelmed the local river, causing extensive property damage estimated at over 2 million pounds. While no lives were lost, the tourism-dependent economy of Boscastle was severely impacted by the floods.

1. Boscastle Floods 16th August 2004

2. The Boscastle flood occurred on the 16th of August in 2004. The village suffered damage after a flash flood caused by an extraordinarily amount of rainfall came down in the afternoon of that day.

3. Boscastle is situated in the South West of England, in the county of Cornwall

13. NO ONE DIED Despite all the damage to buildings and disruption to people’s lives…

14. Some rebuilding work has been done since, with business and homes reopened. However some businesses remain closed and unrepaired, due to problems in reclaiming money from insurance claims. Before and after pictures : Tourist numbers were up to near normal for day trips to Boscastle, a year later in August 2005, but overnight stays were down a little. 2 million pounds was given towards rebuilding the village such as making improvements on the harbor, car park and children’s play area.

15. Boscastle Floods 16th August 2004 By Adam Garrod 11.3