He Opened A Matchmaking Agency In 18Th Century London [EN]: Chapter 213

213. The Great London Flood (1)

◈ A year later. Mid-July, 1799.

Theo Marriage Agency, 5th floor, CEO’s office.

Theo was lost in thought, gazing out the window.

‘Surely, history books recorded abnormal temperature increases before the Great London Flood. Could this heatwave be a prelude to the torrential rain?’

London had been suffering from an unusual heatwave, with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) for nearly a week.

Hospitals were overflowing with patients complaining of heat-related illnesses.

From what he had seen in the future, there were records of a strong heatwave preceding the Great London Flood.

However, only information related to the Great Flood remained, and there was no specific record of when this heatwave started.

‘Is this heatwave just a simple heatwave? Or is it *the* heatwave that occurred before the Great London Flood?’

‘Today is July 15th. If the Great London Flood occurs in early August as recorded in history, there is still time left. But what if the record is wrong?’

The London sewer maintenance project was almost complete, and all kinds of disaster preparedness facilities, such as embankments, sandbags, and flood barriers, were fully equipped to prepare for the Thames River flooding.

However, even with these preparations, this is still the 18th century.

He was already worried about whether the inadequate disaster response level of this era would be able to cope properly when a real disaster occurred.

In the end, evacuating residents in advance before the heavy rain is the safest and most reliable way to respond.

However, there are nearly 100,000 residents around the Thames River lowlands alone.

Evacuating them all at once was never going to be easy.

Several disaster evacuation drills had been conducted through the military, but evacuation in the 18th century, without communication means or broadcasting systems, was bound to be slower and cause greater confusion.

The best way to ensure safe evacuation is to move all lowland residents sequentially starting today.

And keeping them in shelters for about ten days was the most reliable method, given the current lack of knowledge about the exact date of the disaster.

However, with the scorching heat continuing these days,

living in tents close to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) for several days could have serious adverse effects on the health of the elderly. Also, feeding and sanitation for 100,000 people was a major problem.

Moreover, if the psychology that it is not an immediate disaster is triggered, people may not follow the control well, which could increase confusion.

‘To make them follow instructions in an orderly and prompt manner, we need to issue an emergency evacuation order stating that a disaster will occur tomorrow.’

‘But if we do that and nothing happens by the next day, they will be less likely to follow our evacuation instructions from then on…. Sigh—even evacuating is not a simple matter.’

In the end, accurate prediction was the only way to save the lives of these many residents at this point.

However, even in future history, the dates of the Great Flood varied, and it was impossible to know when the heavy rain started.

Knock, knock, knock—

Theo, startled by the knock, turned his head.

“Yes, come in.”

Clunk—

Luke Howard, the director of the London Royal Meteorological Institute, entered.

“Earl? You were looking for me?”

“Ah, yes! Director. Please, sit here.”

However, Howard’s expression, sitting in his seat, was very dark, unlike usual.

It was partly because he was stressed by the recent abnormal heatwave, but he seemed to have other concerns.

“Is there… any problem at the Meteorological Institute?”

Howard shook his head silently and opened his mouth in a subdued voice.

“There are no particular problems at the Meteorological Institute.”

“Then?”

After a moment of hesitation, Director Howard said,

“…There is an incomprehensible phenomenon occurring in the skies over London right now.”

“An incomprehensible phenomenon?”

“Whether it’s due to the continuing abnormal heatwave, the rise in temperature, the wind, and the formation of clouds, everything is showing a very different pattern from what we have seen so far.

Temperature, wind, and water vapor are gathering over London, as if they have made some kind of promise to each other. At a speed and scale I have never seen before in my life…”

Theo, with surprised eyes, moved closer to Howard and asked.

“What does it mean that a huge amount of water vapor is gathering over London?”

“It means it could rain heavily. If this continues, I am worried that an unimaginable amount of water bombs will fall.”

Theo, who had called Director Howard to ask about the possibility of heavy rain, could not help but prick up his ears at the news.

“Really? When do you think that heavy rain will fall?”

“That is a matter that no one can guarantee. The weather is ever-changing, even just a few hours before.”

“But if you had to predict? If the situation you are worried about is reproduced as it is, I would like to hear your personal judgment, Director.”

After a moment of contemplation, Director Howard opened his mouth with difficulty.

“In my opinion, if this heat continues and the air becomes trapped… I think there will be heavy rain in London within a week that will cause a major flood.”

Theo asked with a surprised face.

“Within a week?”

“Yes. But this is just my prediction. Of course, it is an unusual change that I would have warned about by contributing to a local newspaper in the past… But since I am in the official position of Director of the Royal Meteorological Institute, I am rather cautious and afraid to speak carelessly… That is what is so painful.”

In future history, there was a record that Luke Howard had predicted the Great Flood a week in advance.

Then it seemed like now was the time.

“There is no need to be distressed at all. From now on, Director, please focus all your efforts on analyzing when these rain clouds will actually bring heavy rain.

If a tremendous amount of rain falls in the center of London, the Thames River is likely to overflow. The prepared embankments and sandbags will also have their limits. So, your forecast is essential to quickly evacuate the residents of the low-lying areas before that happens.”

Director Howard tilted his head at Theo’s remarks, which seemed to be going too far.

“Um… but, Earl, do you believe everything I predict?”

“I don’t believe in simple predictions. It is the analysis result of the Director of the Royal Meteorological Institute. Of course, I have to believe and follow it.”

“However, I am not sure if the situation is certain enough to evacuate tens of thousands of residents. I also wonder if I am just making a fuss.”

Howard, whom he had seen in the history of the 21st century, was not the director of the Meteorological Institute. So, at that time, he would have predicted without any burden and contributed the contents to the newspaper.

But now, Howard seemed to be hesitating because he was more cautious about his judgment due to the responsibility of his high position.

It seemed necessary to give strength to his judgment.

“Even if such a disaster does not occur, I think it is right to prepare excessively as long as there are clear signs of unusual activity that are different from usual. So, Director, don’t worry about anything else and just work hard to analyze when it will rain!

Anyway, you mean that you definitely see movements that are different from what you have seen so far?”

“Yes. Normally, hot and humid air rises with the wind to form clouds, and then it rains a few days later and passes by. But now, this circulation process is strangely cut off.

Although the amount of water vapor accumulated in the atmosphere has increased due to the high temperature, these are not moving and are stagnating over London for a long time.

Here, the strong heatwave does not decrease, and the moisture contained in the air expands indefinitely, causing more and more rain clouds to accumulate. It is definitely a movement of a type I have never seen before.

At times like this, even a slight instability in the atmosphere can cause heavy rain.”

Theo was convinced by the director’s detailed explanation that it was the heavy rain that would cause the Great London Flood.

“That seems to be enough explanation. I will take responsibility for the rest and take care of it, so Director, please think of it as an emergency situation as I said before and do your best to find the time when the heavy rain will fall.”

Director Howard nodded his head greatly.

“Yes, I understand. I will do my best!”

The great disaster that took the lives of Princess Maria and countless London citizens was slowly revealing its identity.

***

It was earlier than the date recorded in the future, but all the situations clearly pointed to the Great London Flood.

‘Then, there’s less than a week left, right?’

There was no more time to delay.

After much deliberation, Theo conveyed this situation to King George and arranged for consultations with relevant departments to proceed soon.

Disaster preparedness for the remaining period and the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents could only be carried out with the permission of Parliament and the government.

However, the members of Parliament and government officials did not seem to believe Theo’s words that a major disaster was coming.

Even in modern times, when analyzing the weather with satellites and supercomputers, weather forecasts often go wrong and cause difficulties.

It was only natural that those with the scientific level of the 18th century would question the prediction of heavy rain.

Theo would not have been able to argue so strongly if he had not known the fact of the ‘Great London Flood’ recorded in the future.

But there was no time to dwell on this and that.

After having Royal Meteorological Institute Director Luke Howard scientifically explain the reason for the heavy rain, Theo himself publicly declared that he would take all responsibility for disaster evacuation.

Then, the members of Parliament and high-ranking officials, who knew well the achievements Theo had shown so far, could no longer raise their voices in opposition.

As a result, emergency activities for disaster response were launched in full swing according to the resolutions of the members of the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

◈ 6 days later. July 21, 1799, Thames River.

Dark clouds were gathering here and there, but London was still suffering from a scorching heatwave.

Theo was sweating profusely from early in the morning, busy checking various parts of the Thames River.

“Earl Sanderson! Earl!”

Director Howard’s urgent voice was heard from behind Theo, who was shaking a wooden board that would serve as a flood barrier.

“Director? What’s going on?”

“It seems… there are strong signs that the rain will start from tomorrow morning. We need to evacuate the lowland residents quickly today!”

Howard’s fear-stricken eyes made Theo’s heart sink.

“Tomorrow morning?”

“Yes! The atmospheric state is very unstable, and the rain clouds are unusual. Now, they will not be able to withstand the weight and will start to rain.”

“Are you sure it will rain from tomorrow morning?”

After a moment of contemplation, Director Howard nodded his head with a firm expression.

“Yes, to be honest, I cannot pinpoint the time. But I believe it will definitely rain sometime tomorrow.

Once it starts to rain, the enormous amount of water vapor hidden in those clouds will have to move together. The heavy rain will pour down endlessly all day long. So, we need to evacuate before tomorrow morning.”

To Theo’s eyes, the shape of the clouds was not much different from yesterday.

Above all, the record in history was clearly in early August.

But Howard seemed to have caught something clearly different.

“Yes, I understand. Then I will order the evacuation.”

Now that the date of the Great London Flood recorded in future history was inaccurate, Theo had no choice but to trust and follow Luke Howard’s words.

***

Theo called Colonel Rogers, told him about the current situation, and issued an emergency evacuation operation.

“Are the tents ready to be used as temporary shelters?”

“Yes, we had completed the temporary shelter in Hampstead Heath a few days ago. We just need to guide the residents’ movement well.”

“Once the evacuation begins, nearly 100,000 residents will move all at once, so there may be great confusion. Please do your best to ensure an orderly evacuation as we have practiced.”

“Yes, Earl.”

Theo had been conducting disaster evacuation drills in preparation for the Thames River flooding through several meetings and mock drills with military commanders.

He could only hope that it would bring good results.

***

London Mayfair, Theo’s mansion.

“Maria! Maria! Is everything ready?”

Theo shouted as he hurriedly ran into the Mayfair mansion.

The house was in a mess with evacuation preparations.

Princess Maria, who came down from the second floor, asked Theo with a worried face when she saw him.

“Yes, almost everything is ready, but how much rain will fall that we have to evacuate like this….”

Theo stared down at Princess Maria with an uneasy expression.

In the future records, the Thames River overflowed due to several hours of heavy rain, and the overflowing water swept through the streets of Covent Garden and soon submerged all of Mayfair.

And it was recorded that Princess Maria was also drowned in it.

“It will rain more than you think. So, let’s get out of here quickly.”

Hampstead Heath, temporary shelter.

An endless movement resembling a large-scale military operation from the Westminster area and its surrounding areas continued until late in the evening.

Approximately 80,000 residents staged a spectacular move to temporary shelters.

Thanks to the repeated training and planning, the feared confusion did not occur.

In addition, a large number of carts and carriages were mobilized to Hampstead Heath, which is located at a high altitude, to carry the elderly and heavy luggage, greatly increasing the speed of evacuation.

On the hill of Hampstead Heath, where the shelter was located, countless tents were densely packed, and temporary hospitals and medical staff were on standby around them to provide simple treatment.

Each temporary tent was equipped with food, blankets, and spare clothes that could last for a week, and various hygiene products were also prepared.

Fortunately, it was summer, so the weather was not cold, so there was no need to worry about the cold at night.

***

“Wow—the scale is enormous. When did you install all of this?”

Princess Maria, who entered the entrance of the shelter and saw the numerous tents installed on the hill, could not close her mouth in surprise.

“We have been preparing for more than half a year since the end of last year.”

“It’s really a great scale.”

While the butler and servants were diligently carrying luggage and moving to the tent assigned to the Theo family, Director Howard approached.

“Earl! Thank you for your hard work in coming here.”

“You have been preparing well, Director.”

Howard had arrived first and was preparing for various flooding contingencies in the shelter.

Theo asked with a somewhat worried face.

“Looking at the sky, the shape of the clouds does not seem to be much different from a few days ago… How is it? Will it really rain a lot?”

Even though it was not raining, complaints were pouring out from all over the place that they had to suddenly go to the shelter, leaving their work and homes behind.

“Earl, the clouds in the sky over London right now are a unique cloud formation that I have never seen in my life. If those clouds pour out rain, the area around the Thames River and its vicinity… will literally turn into hell.”

Director Howard’s voice was trembling thinly.

He loved clouds for a long time and had been observing their movements countless times through the sky, so he was more sensitive to changes in clouds and humidity than anyone else.

If Howard, who was so afraid, was looking at those clouds, it could be said that a terrible disaster that ordinary people could not imagine was being drawn in his head.

‘Yes, the only person who can judge the rain by looking at those clouds right now is Director Howard. I have to trust and follow his judgment.’

At that time, Colonel Rogers hurriedly approached and looked for Theo.

“Earl! Earl!”

“Colonel Rogers! Yes, have you finished moving the other areas?”

Colonel Rogers had moved the evacuees to the shelters set up in other areas.

“Yes. Oh, and I found Princess Amelia and moved her to the shelter.”

“Princess Amelia?”

“Yes, the princess was on the border of the lowlands, so I took her out for safety just in case.”

Come to think of it, I remembered seeing a record in the 21st century that Princess Amelia, who had gone to a sanatorium, died in the Great London Flood.

She was also famous as King George’s most beloved youngest daughter, and I had also seen a record that King George, who was greatly hurt after Amelia’s death, had his mental illness further aggravated.

“Yes, very well done! Well done!”

In that way, the emergency evacuation of London residents was safely completed.