Events such as Storm Chandra take a terrible toll on ecosystems, but nature can be part of the solution for mitigating flood waters
“T
he flood waters are only good for scavenger species,” says Steve Hussey, searching hard for a silver lining to last week’s deluges brought by Storm Chandra. When the waters recede, crows and ravens will feast on the carrion of hedgehogs, dormice and other small animals unable to escape the rising water, he says.
“It sounds very apocalyptic, doesn’t it?” says Hussey, a communications officer with the Devon Wildlife Trust.
Between Tuesday and Wednesday last week, some areas in the west of the UK saw more than 110mm (4.3in) of rain during the storm. The deluge meant several places in south-west England broke daily records for January rainfall, causing authorities to issue rare “danger to life” flood warnings. More than 100 flood alerts remain in place.
