The Yorkshire Film Archive collects, preserves, and shows film made in, or about Yorkshire. Our collections are non-fiction, dating from the 1890s to the present day, and providing a rich and visually compelling record of all aspects of lives, cultures, landscape, industries, major events and everyday activities, many of which are available to watch, free of charge, on our website.
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January Floods in York
One of the most serious floods in York’s recorded history leaves many of the city’s buildings uninhabitable and partially underwater.
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Overview
The devastating impact of York’s January 1982 flood is documented with slow eerie pans of the flooded and damaged buildings in the city. These scenes later give way to shots of onlookers from the bridges and people desperately trying to repair the damage. York’s tenacity in the face of unrelenting natural power turns poignancy into hope in this film.
The city of York has proved to be extremely susceptible to severe flooding. The River Ouse has frequently burst its banks and poured into the city, often causing major damage. From 1947-2015, York suffered no less than 7 serious floods despite improved flood defences.
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