ITV movie Flood

On the 4th and 5th of May 2008, ITV showed the disaster movie Flood. It showed the tale of how London drowns under the affects of a storm surge and the spring tide.

The story goes something like this.

A bad storm is raging off the coast of England. A scientist, who long ago predicted that the Thames Barrier would fail but was ignored, tells the government about the impending disaster. He takes his computer models to show the government the events that are about to take place. The government starts to evacuate parts of London, but there is only 3 hours until the flood arrives.

With the combined forces of the storm surge and the spring tide there are 25 foot high waves racing up the Thames. The Thames Barrier can not hold the waves back and the London starts to drown.

The government looks to the scientist for help as only he understands the science behind it all. He comes up with a plan to open upstream sloosh gates, which are currently bursting with water from the storm, and have this flow of water push the storm surge back into the sea. Some people think the plan is impossible and a huge gamble, but the scientist is convinced and his computer models prove it.

The plan is put into action but there is a problem. The Thames Barrier needs opening. So the scientist goes off with others to help get the job done. But there are more problems and the only option the scientist has is to sacrifice his own life. The barrier is lowered just in time and millions of people are saved, but our hero is dead.

Can this happen for real? The ITV web site asked that question and said,

Leading actor David Suchet said: “Floods happened in Britain in 1953 and of course more recently. There was one in the 17th Century and global warming could create these conditions. However, the Thames Barrier and other defences are in a position to protect London, so in that sense, the film is very fictional.

This was a “what if” type of movie but not about the flood. It was more about a “what if we don’t listen to scientists and their computer models about future disasters?” It was interesting to see a scientist as the hero, one who was ignored, but had predicted the flood years ago. He was then the only one who could help fix the problem and the only one people looked to. Then in the end, as all good heroes, he sacrifices himself to save the day.

To sum up, this movie was more about the results of us not trusting scientists and their computer models. It all seemed a little like “Doomsayer’s Propaganda” to me.