0:00:02 > 0:00:06Today on Fierce Earth, we look at the awesome power of flooding
0:00:06 > 0:00:09and find out what happens when it rains too much
0:00:09 > 0:00:11and water suddenly becomes our enemy.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19It can play havoc with people's lives.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22I had no idea that water could do so much damage.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28It was something I would never want to go through again.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30A tiny amount can sweep you off your feet.
0:00:32 > 0:00:33It's the force of the water,
0:00:33 > 0:00:36you're fighting for your life in no time.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39And we discover new technology that can save your life.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46The Fierce Earth team investigate why floods occur,
0:00:46 > 0:00:49and learn how best to survive them.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55What happens when the ground shakes, the seas rise up,
0:00:55 > 0:00:58and the air tears itself apart?
0:00:58 > 0:01:00The Fierce Earth team move in,
0:01:00 > 0:01:03taking on the most powerful forces on the planet.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24Get ready for Fierce Earth - the Earth and how to survive it.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31Water is one of nature's most important gifts.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34It covers more than 70% of the Earth
0:01:34 > 0:01:36and is vital to all forms of life.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41Rainwater plays a big role in the Earth's weather system.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44Most importantly for humans and animals,
0:01:44 > 0:01:45rain provides water to drink.
0:01:47 > 0:01:48But when there is too much water,
0:01:48 > 0:01:53or a lot of water in the wrong place, it can cause flooding.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55Have you ever watered a plant?
0:01:55 > 0:01:57A little water will soak the soil,
0:01:57 > 0:02:00too much and it will rise out and over the top.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06The soil in this pot is like our Earth.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10It can soak up a little bit of water, but it cannot hold too much.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13When it rains really heavily,
0:02:13 > 0:02:17there is only one place for the water to go, up and out.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21Well, that's what happens in a flood.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29And there has never been more flooding around than at the moment.
0:02:29 > 0:02:342012 was one of England's wettest, most soggiest years on record.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38This is set to be the wettest April in 100 years.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40The torrential rain caused chaos
0:02:40 > 0:02:44and flooding across some parts of the country.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47Leading to almost 8,000 properties being flooded.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52Railway lines were closed leaving people with no way to get home.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56'Thousands of rail passengers were left stranded,
0:02:56 > 0:03:00'every single river in this county is now on flood alert.'
0:03:00 > 0:03:02Flooding has never been more of an issue,
0:03:02 > 0:03:04but what is it actually caused by?
0:03:08 > 0:03:11There are a few different types of flooding.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13One is river flooding.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15When a river can't cope with the amount of rainfall
0:03:15 > 0:03:18and it overflows, spilling out onto the land.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23Surface or flash flooding happens when there is heavy rainfall
0:03:23 > 0:03:27in a short amount of time and the land cannot hold any more water.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32This type of flooding also happens in towns or cities
0:03:32 > 0:03:34when drainage systems overflow.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40So what's it like to be caught in a flash flood?
0:03:40 > 0:03:45I have been told that as little as 25 centimetres of water is enough
0:03:45 > 0:03:47to knock you off your feet.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50But normally that amount of still water only reaches up to
0:03:50 > 0:03:53an adult's knee, and it's possible to walk through.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55The problem is not the amount of water,
0:03:55 > 0:03:57it's the speed it travels.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00When it's fast-flowing water, it can become super-powerful
0:04:00 > 0:04:02and may be deadly.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05My Fierce Earth challenge today is to experience what it's like to
0:04:05 > 0:04:07be caught in a flash flood.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10And to see if just 25 centimetres of fast-flowing water
0:04:10 > 0:04:11can knock me off my feet.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19I know all about life on the edge.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23I've climbed to the top of the world's highest mountain.
0:04:25 > 0:04:26Frozen in the Antarctic.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30And parachuted off the planet's biggest cliffs.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37What I'm about to do is very dangerous.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40On hand is one of the UK's leading flood safety trainers.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44I have been doing swift water rescue training
0:04:44 > 0:04:47for the last seven years full-time.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50Leo has definitely been thrown in at the deep end today.
0:04:50 > 0:04:51Any tips you can give me?
0:04:51 > 0:04:55If you can put one foot forward, and lean into the flow,
0:04:55 > 0:04:57that's going to give you an advantage.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00Then think about trying to minimise your surface area.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03So there's less area for the water to push on?
0:05:03 > 0:05:05The important thing is once you get washed away,
0:05:05 > 0:05:07not to try and stand up.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10What you want to be doing is rolling onto your back,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13feet downstream and try to remain as calm as possible.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15Easier said than done.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19And it's all about, it's just about trying to control yourself really.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22Controlling your breathing and trying to stay calm
0:05:22 > 0:05:25as well as controlling your body position in the water.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28- Try not to drink too much of the river.- Yeah, top tip.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32'Sounds straightforward, but I'm still scared.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34'Good job I'm wearing a fully protected dry suit
0:05:34 > 0:05:37'and safety helmet and there are five emergency trained
0:05:37 > 0:05:41'experts on hand to pull me out of the water if anything goes wrong.'
0:05:41 > 0:05:44OK, release the water on the long course.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48Release the hounds! Agh!
0:05:48 > 0:05:53It's not too bad right now, but I can see it coming. Look at that.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57That's starting to feel heavy, it feels like you've got lead boots on.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00My heart is really beating fast. It's quite intense.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03'I am well out of my comfort zone here,
0:06:03 > 0:06:05'and I'm about to get out of my depth.'
0:06:05 > 0:06:08It's not even at my knees yet and I can barely stand up.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12Oh, my goodness, look at that. I'm going. I'm going.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14I can't stand up any more!
0:06:19 > 0:06:21I can't...
0:06:28 > 0:06:30'I managed to face the power of the fast flowing water
0:06:30 > 0:06:32'for one minute, 29 seconds.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36'And the level reached up to just below my knee,
0:06:36 > 0:06:39'roughly 25 centimetres.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44'I've just felt the equivalent force
0:06:44 > 0:06:47'of 90 buses hitting me at once, it was full on.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50'The power of this rushing water is sweeping me down the river.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54'If this is a pretend experience, it's scary enough.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57'I can't imagine what it would be like for real.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59'Any minute now I could hit floating debris
0:06:59 > 0:07:03'and, as advised, I am travelling on my back and I'm powerless.
0:07:03 > 0:07:04'It's just me versus the water.'
0:07:17 > 0:07:19Oh, my goodness.
0:07:25 > 0:07:26Quite tiring.
0:07:26 > 0:07:31It is not the depth, it's the force of the water and you just,
0:07:31 > 0:07:35you're fighting for your life in no time.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37'That was scary.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40'I've taken on the power of water.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43'It knocked me off my feet in one minute 29 seconds.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47'The water that hit me every second weighed 14 tonnes.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51'That's the equivalent weight of about 90 double-decker buses.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53'On this occasion the water won.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56It's dangerous, you need to treat it with respect
0:07:56 > 0:07:57and try and stay out of the way.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05In this controlled exercise, Leo fell victim
0:08:05 > 0:08:07to the extreme power of water
0:08:07 > 0:08:12and found out how easy it is to be washed away by its mighty force.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15So floods can be seriously dangerous, but because they destroy
0:08:15 > 0:08:19and damage so much, they can also be very expensive.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24The top three most costly floods to hit the UK are:
0:08:24 > 0:08:26In third position, in 2012 the UK
0:08:26 > 0:08:28had one of its wettest summers ever.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34Over 1,000 flood alerts were issued.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37Filthy water ruined more than 8,000 homes.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41The cost is £400 million and counting.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47In second position, in the year 2000,
0:08:47 > 0:08:50flooding hit the areas of Shrewsbury, Lewes
0:08:50 > 0:08:55and Portsmouth ruining over 10,000 buildings and costing £1 billion.
0:08:58 > 0:09:03And the worst, the summer floods of 2007 which destroyed
0:09:03 > 0:09:09over 55,000 properties and cost a total of £3.2 billion
0:09:09 > 0:09:13with the worst affected areas being in Sheffield and Hull.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17Next I travel to Boscastle in Cornwall
0:09:17 > 0:09:21and meet a teenager who found herself in the middle of one
0:09:21 > 0:09:24of the most severe flash floods Britain has ever seen.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31In August 2004, Boscastle suffered enormous
0:09:31 > 0:09:36damage as a wall of water swept through this small village.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39It was a nightmare for the people who live there causing
0:09:39 > 0:09:41large-scale devastation.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44And costing around £50 million to repair the damage.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51So, what turned this picturesque village into what can only be
0:09:51 > 0:09:55described as a swirling torrent of water and debris?
0:09:57 > 0:10:01The answer is that a month's worth of rain fell in just four hours
0:10:01 > 0:10:04and the water rushed through this narrow valley.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09That day, 20 centimetres of rain fell in a four-hour period
0:10:09 > 0:10:13and two million tonnes of it surged through this village centre.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19How did it feel to watch this disaster unfold?
0:10:19 > 0:10:22To find out, I am here in Boscastle to meet Julie Moffat.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Julie was just 13 at the time these terrifying floods happened.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32Her story made the national news.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37That was one of the restaurants, they called it the Blue Room.
0:10:37 > 0:10:42But no-one wants to be a celebrity for reasons like these.
0:10:42 > 0:10:48This is my bedroom, and my bed was in the far corner over there.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50We still can't live here because of the damp.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54Julie is a few years old now,
0:10:54 > 0:10:57and all the flood damage to their property is repaired.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00So this is where the water came in?
0:11:00 > 0:11:04Yes, we actually have a flood level just up here.
0:11:04 > 0:11:05Gosh, that is so high.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07How high the water came up.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10There's not much evidence left of the floods now,
0:11:10 > 0:11:13but Julie still has strong memories of the disaster.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15Tell me about the day of the floods?
0:11:15 > 0:11:18In the afternoon it started to rain
0:11:18 > 0:11:20and it was really, really heavy rain.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23A black cloud and it was quite surreal really,
0:11:23 > 0:11:25the weather changed that quick.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31Water started rushing through the streets, so Julie and her mum headed
0:11:31 > 0:11:35to what they thought would be safety, their family business and home.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40We all just basically went into the Manor House
0:11:40 > 0:11:43and stuffed coats and stuff like that under the door
0:11:43 > 0:11:46to try and stop it because we didn't think
0:11:46 > 0:11:48it was going to be anything major.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53But things were actually getting major very quickly.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57We realised it was getting more serious probably
0:11:57 > 0:12:00when the water started to come into the Manor House through
0:12:00 > 0:12:03the door barricade that we had made.
0:12:04 > 0:12:09That's when we realised how powerful that water was to push it away.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12This flood water was sweeping away everything in its path,
0:12:12 > 0:12:17including a number of empty parked cars and vehicles.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19It was going really fast, actually.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22It picked up all the cars.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26They were just being chucked down the village.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29Just... It was the most surreal thing I've ever seen, I think.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36Just imagine all of this water rushing through your home.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40I saw how high the water was coming outside the Manor House, and
0:12:40 > 0:12:45that's when we had a look downstairs and there was a lot of water.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47The water was probably up to my chest at the time.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51At one point we could see my auntie's
0:12:51 > 0:12:54and my nan's cars both being chucked down the village.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01That water was just so powerful it was able to do that as
0:13:01 > 0:13:03if they didn't weigh anything at all.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06Julie was trapped in her home
0:13:06 > 0:13:10and all she could do was watch with horror through the window.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14We were up in the Manor House for five or six hours just waiting
0:13:14 > 0:13:18really for something to happen, we didn't know what to do.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20With so much water tearing through the streets,
0:13:20 > 0:13:24there was only one way many of the villagers could be rescued.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27By helicopter.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30Looking out of the window we could see people being
0:13:30 > 0:13:33rescued at the time, being winched up by helicopters.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36Standing on their roofs, trying to get attention to be rescued.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43It was really quite scary seeing them frightened like that.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Julie and her mum were waiting for their turn to be winched away,
0:13:50 > 0:13:53but they had no idea when this would happen.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56We had no communication, all the phone lines were down.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59It was quite scary not knowing what was happening.
0:13:59 > 0:14:04Dozens of people were dramatically winched into the RAF helicopters.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07But with water levels falling,
0:14:07 > 0:14:10Julie decided to take a different route to safety.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15We decided to make a run for it.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19The water was about up to my chest at the time.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23When it was down quite a lot, we decided to wade through it.
0:14:24 > 0:14:29The flood was over, both Julie and her mum had escaped to safety,
0:14:29 > 0:14:32but the village they called home was devastated.
0:14:33 > 0:14:38I had no idea that water could do so much damage before.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40You know, you see it on TV,
0:14:40 > 0:14:44but it doesn't hit home until you are seeing it right in front of you.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47It was something I would never want to go through again.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52There was going to be a lot of cleaning up for Julie's family
0:14:52 > 0:14:53and the village to do.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00But thanks to the amazing work of the emergency services,
0:15:00 > 0:15:04150 villagers were rescued and no lives were lost on that day.
0:15:11 > 0:15:16Floods have continued to hit the UK since Boscastle in 2004.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20And they have proved to be a huge challenge to our emergency services.
0:15:20 > 0:15:25That's because flood victims haven't just been trapped in their homes...
0:15:25 > 0:15:27NEWS REPORT: Heavy rain and powerful winds have caused flooding
0:15:27 > 0:15:30and disruption across much of the United Kingdom...
0:15:30 > 0:15:32Drivers have been left stranded...
0:15:32 > 0:15:34One man has died in flood waters in Somerset...
0:15:34 > 0:15:37One of the toughest jobs for emergency services during severe
0:15:37 > 0:15:41floods is to rescue people who had got stuck in their cars.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45Many believe they are safer to stay in their vehicle.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48But be warned, it doesn't take much water
0:15:48 > 0:15:51to lift a car from the ground and sweep it away.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56So emergency rescue teams have made it their priority to come up
0:15:56 > 0:15:59with a safe way of rescuing people.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Leo and I are about to find out how the emergency services are learning
0:16:04 > 0:16:08new techniques for rescuing people trapped in their cars by floods.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14Matt is a safety expert in flood rescue.
0:16:16 > 0:16:21Today, he's going to show me how quickly a car can get flooded.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24And he's going to show me how to perform a rescue.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29Nearly half of flood-related deaths happened to people in vehicles,
0:16:29 > 0:16:32so it's quite important to know how to get out.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35And it only takes two feet of water to actually wash away a car.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39As I've already learned, rushing water is dangerous.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41So I'm going to be trained about the safest way to move
0:16:41 > 0:16:43through powerful water.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48This pole allows me to check for uneven ground and helps me
0:16:48 > 0:16:50to stay on my feet.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53And Zoe gets the chance to watch me practice
0:16:53 > 0:16:55before she gets into the car.
0:16:55 > 0:17:00Just watching this demo, I am absolutely terrified already.
0:17:00 > 0:17:01My heart's racing.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05I'm being supported by the rescue team and we're using each other
0:17:05 > 0:17:08to stop ourselves from falling in to the water.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10As a group, we are stronger
0:17:10 > 0:17:13and have more chance of standing up than a lone individual.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17Think, eight legs are stronger than two.
0:17:19 > 0:17:20It's way harder than it looks.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23The skill is moving together to create a human shield
0:17:23 > 0:17:25against the water.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27Seeing it rushing down this channel, yeah,
0:17:27 > 0:17:31it's making me feel quite sick, actually.
0:17:31 > 0:17:32It's exhausting.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34Facing the awesome power of this water,
0:17:34 > 0:17:36travelling at ten tonnes per second.
0:17:36 > 0:17:41That's the equivalent of a whopping 10,000 litres of water.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47No wonder Zoe is feeling sick. This is really scary and dangerous.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51Right, I think they're ready for me. Wish me luck!
0:17:51 > 0:17:54I am about to find out what it's like to be trapped
0:17:54 > 0:17:56in a car during a flood.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59Because it doesn't take much water to move a car,
0:17:59 > 0:18:03this one has been chained down so that I don't get swept away.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08To understand the force of the water about to hit Zoe's car,
0:18:08 > 0:18:11think how hard you would find it to shut a door on your own
0:18:11 > 0:18:15- with 100 of your friends pushing against you.- I'm terrified already.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18But it would be so much worse
0:18:18 > 0:18:20if I didn't have these guys coming to get me out.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25Oh, my gosh. It's going right over the roof of the car now.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28And it's coming in through the side windows as well.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30It's a scary experience for Zoe,
0:18:30 > 0:18:33but she is safe as the trained experts are close by.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36The water rushes over the car and round the sides.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40Even though the windows are open, it doesn't come inside too much.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42At least, that's the theory.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46This is terrifying.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48Because of the force of the water, I can't open the door
0:18:48 > 0:18:52and I've been trapped inside for a whole three minutes.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55I'm definitely ready to get out.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58Using their bodies as a barrier against the water,
0:18:58 > 0:19:02they are able to open the door as a group and walk me back to safety.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06Training such as this is vital in order to prepare
0:19:06 > 0:19:09rescue services for real-life flooding situations.
0:19:11 > 0:19:12That is just the most scary thing,
0:19:12 > 0:19:15I think possibly the most frightening thing I've ever done in my life.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18It's so intense. It's hard to describe.
0:19:18 > 0:19:19I was hanging on for dear life.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21The sound of it is just completely overwhelming.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25You can't even hear your own screams. It's really dramatic.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27Now, from rescuing people in vehicles,
0:19:27 > 0:19:31to an extraordinary vehicle that rescues people.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33Mike checks out some technology with a difference.
0:19:38 > 0:19:43Hovercrafts are vital for rescuing people stranded by floods.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46These amazing machines can travel across water
0:19:46 > 0:19:48and also hover across land.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Some of you might have travelled on a hovercraft on holiday
0:19:52 > 0:19:54between England and France.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57The smaller ones are ideal for getting to people who have
0:19:57 > 0:19:59been trapped by flood water.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04Mike is in Southampton to discover why hovercrafts are the vehicle
0:20:04 > 0:20:07of choice for emergency services in flood rescue.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11And I'm with Mark, the man in the know.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15These hovercraft are always the first thing to show up. Why is that?
0:20:15 > 0:20:19Because they are so adaptable at getting to all the areas,
0:20:19 > 0:20:22both overland, over the debris, over the sea.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24And they get there really quickly.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28Whether it's water, sand, snow, land, this works,
0:20:28 > 0:20:29- this will float over the top? - Absolutely.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31It will hover over the top, yes.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34Is there any way I could take a spin in this one and see what it's like?
0:20:34 > 0:20:36Why not? We'll get one of our pilots, James, to take you.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38Awesome, let's do it. All right.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41All right, here we go. The big boy toy! This is awesome.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45Never been on a hovercraft before.
0:20:45 > 0:20:46Woooah!
0:20:48 > 0:20:50It just flies over the water.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53So how do these amazing machines work?
0:20:53 > 0:20:56The hovercrafts have a gigantic fan which blows air
0:20:56 > 0:20:58into the cushion underneath them.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01This lifts the hovercraft body off the ground
0:21:01 > 0:21:04and then you're floating along on a cushion of air.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07If you want to buy one of these, you better start saving your coins
0:21:07 > 0:21:10because these cost around £150,000.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15And now it's my turn to have a go.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19I've only been a captain for ten seconds,
0:21:19 > 0:21:21and I'm already encountering big waves.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28I am having fun travelling quickly,
0:21:28 > 0:21:32but it's this speed that helps save lives.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36Small boats need water that's at least waist height in order to move.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39But this hovercraft is the perfect three-in-one.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43It can power across deep water, skim across shallow water,
0:21:43 > 0:21:45and glide over land.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47Still on land.
0:21:47 > 0:21:52Nice smooth ride. And now we're transitioning to water.
0:21:52 > 0:21:53Now we're on the water.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58I can see why these are so important for flooding
0:21:58 > 0:22:00conditions in saving lives.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03To get into the area where the flooding has occurred
0:22:03 > 0:22:04and rescue the people.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12This is fun, it's safe, it's important,
0:22:12 > 0:22:16and I have a new gain of respect for the technology involved
0:22:16 > 0:22:18with this, because it gives you the ability to go on
0:22:18 > 0:22:22and rescue people in any kind of condition, in any kind of terrain.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30The threat of flooding here in the UK is not going away.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33With one of the wettest summers on record in 2012,
0:22:33 > 0:22:36flooding and its devastation is becoming something
0:22:36 > 0:22:39that many of us may experience.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46One country that is well adapted to living with the constant threat
0:22:46 > 0:22:47of flooding is Holland.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51For hundreds of years,
0:22:51 > 0:22:54it has suffered more floods than any other country in the world.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01We've sent Mike on a trip to Holland to see how engineers are coming
0:23:01 > 0:23:05up with clever ways to manage the threat of flooding.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13Holland is a very flat country and most of it is below sea level.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16That means that the people who live here have always had to fight
0:23:16 > 0:23:19to stop water from invading their land.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21The whole of Holland is crisscrossed with ditches
0:23:21 > 0:23:26and canals that are like huge drains that keep the water off the land.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29It's a bit like the rain that falls on your roof being carried
0:23:29 > 0:23:30away by guttering.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34And here in Rotterdam, Holland's second largest city,
0:23:34 > 0:23:36they have created a massive tank
0:23:36 > 0:23:39the size of four Olympic swimming pools that can store
0:23:39 > 0:23:42any excess water. And it's hidden.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46That's right, we're in an underground parking lot.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48It doesn't look very special, does it?
0:23:48 > 0:23:51But this type of parking lot can save cities from flooding.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55The problem with a city or town is when it rains a lot,
0:23:55 > 0:23:57the rain has nowhere to go.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01Grass and soil can absorb the water, but concrete definitely cannot.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07And there's lots of concrete in a city.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10When it rains a lot, the sewers and drains fill to the top
0:24:10 > 0:24:13and there's nowhere for the water to go, except for in your home,
0:24:13 > 0:24:15and you definitely don't want that.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18And to stop flood water entering the homes,
0:24:18 > 0:24:21here in Rotterdam they have come up with a way of storing it.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24There's a water storage facility underneath that fills
0:24:24 > 0:24:25with water to the top,
0:24:25 > 0:24:30which basically keeps the water from flowing through the streets.
0:24:30 > 0:24:31Daniel's about to give me
0:24:31 > 0:24:36a sneak peek at where all the water goes, underneath the car park.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38So, welcome to the underground storage facility.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40Wow, this is impressive.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42This is basically where all the magic happens?
0:24:42 > 0:24:45- Yes. Everything behind the window, actually.- Wow.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47So how many litres does this hold?
0:24:47 > 0:24:49It holds ten million litres of water.
0:24:49 > 0:24:50Why is the window so dirty?
0:24:50 > 0:24:52It's rainwater combined with the sewer water.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55- So you wouldn't want to go swimming in there!- No, you wouldn't.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58- It's pretty dirty.- Is there any way I can actually see it happen?
0:24:58 > 0:24:59Yeah, we're going to open a valve
0:24:59 > 0:25:03and then this massive amount of water is going to drop in.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07Daniel's about to release 20,000 litres of flood water.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09About 100 bathtubs full,
0:25:09 > 0:25:12to show me what it will look like when these pipes empty.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16- That was amazing! - It's pretty cool, isn't it?
0:25:16 > 0:25:18This amount of mucky flood water
0:25:18 > 0:25:20would be enough to wreck anyone's home.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23Before we had this, we had massive flooding in the streets
0:25:23 > 0:25:26and also in basements and shops in the city centre.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30And after we built this, we actually reduced this.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33So this facility gives us dry feet.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36- So this is very important for the city?- It is. It is, yes.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41In the battle against flooding,
0:25:41 > 0:25:44the Dutch engineers are certainly putting up a good fight.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51But with 2012 being the wettest year on record,
0:25:51 > 0:25:54what is being done in the UK to help with flooding?
0:25:56 > 0:25:59People unlucky enough to own houses that have been flooded are
0:25:59 > 0:26:04making changes so they're not totally ruined if the water levels do rise.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07They're fitting electronic sockets at higher levels,
0:26:07 > 0:26:10replastering rooms with water-resistant material,
0:26:10 > 0:26:14and getting rid of carpets from the ground floor of houses.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20London has built the world's second largest flood barrier.
0:26:20 > 0:26:21When closed,
0:26:21 > 0:26:25the Thames Barrier stops rising water levels in the Thames Estuary
0:26:25 > 0:26:30from flooding the 12 million people who live in Britain's capital city.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33But if water should come your way, and the worst does happen,
0:26:33 > 0:26:38there are ways to maximise your chances of surviving in a flood.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40Here's our Fierce Earth survival guide.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47If it rains too much in a very short space of time, be aware.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51Check the weather reports. Do not try to cross flood water.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56In the unlikely event you find yourself trapped in a car,
0:26:56 > 0:26:59get out and onto the roof as quickly as possible.
0:26:59 > 0:27:04This is how you maximise your chances of surviving the Fierce Earth.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd