Storm Barra was the second storm named of the 2021/22 season. There had been three storms in 2021 in the UK given names already. They were Christoph, Darcy and Evert. Storm Christoph dropped a lot of rain in and around our plots. The Met Office advised that it is one of the wettest 3-day periods on record. Our nearest rainfall station at Sale recorded 76.6mm although our average long term is 77.2 mm. Storm seasons run from September to August the following year. Names are only given to those that are going to have a really severe impact. If it has the potential to cause an amber or red warning on the National Severe Weather Warnings service it will be announced.
This is the “Michael Fish” effect. For younger viewers here’s a BBC link to the weather presenter reassuring a viewer that a hurricane was not on the way in October 1987. Technically correct, it was not a hurricane, but the storm did have 100 mph winds in places. The estimated costs of repair and clear-up were £1 billion across the country. The South of England bore the brunt of it.
Wetting the storms head
Storms are not just named by the Met Office. Met Eireann and KNMI are also allowed to name storms. So they don’t grab the nearest baby naming book, but have reached out to the public to offer names. An alphabetical list is then compiled for the following season. Some letters are left out to be in line with US system. The US system is also the reason some storms in the UK are tagged as “Ex-hurricane X’ rather than re-named once they have crossed the Atlantic. Either way they are not plot holders friends. Either extreme winds ripping across the area or fast and high volumes of rainfall or worse both together cause havoc in different ways to the plots. Imagine a garden without the close protection of houses, over-hanging trees and fences being whipped by wind and pounded by rain.
Location, location, location
A plot holder does not have the services of Kirsty and Phil when getting a plot. Their name goes on the Waiting List and then when a plot becomes available they are offered it. Plots become available for a number of reasons. People move, their circumstances change so they no longer need the space to grow fruit and veg. For some time becomes an issue, and, of course, we are human so our bodies don’t last forever. The Secretary and Chair will take a mosey around the vacant plot to make sure it does not have anything hazardous on it. If there is any greenhouse or shed or furniture and tools the vacating plot holder or their family will remove what they wish to. Spare tools will be sold at the next community event. The new plot holder then gets what is left in and on the soil to start to grow as they wish to.
Plots at Weaste are laid East to West or West to East depending on which road they abut to. There is a central circular road around the site. Inside the circle are some plots and half plots that face East with their West boundary backing on to a path across from which there are more plots facing the road on the West. These plots are totally exposed to the elements. The plots around the boundary edge of the site have a little shelter from the houses and gardens backing on to the East and North side, with some trees on the playing fields giving shelter to the West and South. The penance for those plots is constant weeding of ash seedlings and needing to get the Council to cut back the tree growth so that the plots are not too shaded.
Storm Damage
Damage caused by storms to structures and crops is par for the course for plot holders. It is nature, but that does not always make it easy to bear. Greenhouses and sheds have been bought by the plot holders. If they are damaged it is the plot holder who will need to find the funds to repair the damage.
The double-whammy here is that Storm Barra followed on from Storm Arwen at the end of November which was a red warning for wind. Whilst this hit the East side of the UK mainly it did blow across before petering out. So the wind had already loosened some trees and taller netted structures.
Storm Barra was a strong winds and heavy rain storm over three days. With gusts of up to 81 mph it made the allotments a no go area whilst it was blowing. Not only was it dangerous if things were flying around, but the allotment site gates are not easy to open even in light winds! So a call went out on the plot holders Facebook group to go and tie things down again or put them in sheds where possible prior to the storm. At 12:15 the satellite image shows the UK already covered in cloud and the storm about to batter us blowing up from the South across the M602.
The morning after
The tally on the allotment was one greenhouse down – been hit many times before. Another six greenhouses with 1 – 6 panels of glass blown out or damaged by things around them being blown into them. Most of them on the South West side of the allotments. Fortunately the plot holders pulled together and shared spare glass where possible, but as expected some trips to the glaziers and frantic searching on free to collect sites also happened. Lighter plastic or plexiglass was also blown out of some greenhouses and shed windows and found across the site.
Beekeepers were out the morning after to check that all preparations to keep their dormant colonies safe worked. A fence was down but not on the bees area. All hives were in good shape. Poultry keepers including the Community Chicken team had done their best to make sure that the roofs and fences were well secured prior to Storm Barra. Again a morning check showed all was safe from the storm and still fox-proof all round. A big issue again has been the main gate which is tall and difficult to shut when it is very windy. A key got stuck in the lock , but was freed. Another item to add to the Committee list to find a secure but easy to unlock gate option. So as we say Barra not a barrow load of laughs and quite costly for some.
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