The 1894 thames flood - a reappraisal

Outstanding flood events are particularly influential in relation to the development of engineering design procedures and flood mitigation strategies. However, uncertainties concerning the credibility of peak flow assessments associated with many exceptional historical flood events can limit their utility. This paper uses a combination of historical and hydrometric evidence, together with contemporary rainfall–runoff modelling procedures, to examine the highest recorded flow on the River Thames. The evidence strongly suggests that the generally accepted maximum flow for the November 1894 flood is substantially overestimated. A synthesis of the historical evidence, and estimates from two rainfall–runoff models, allows a more realistic estimate of the peak flow to be derived. Its impact on return period assessments is considered within the wider context of the limited precision and availability of extreme flood flow estimates in the UK.