On the night of August 15-16, 1952, the small coastal town of Lynmouth in Devon, England, experienced one of the most devastating floods in British history. Following heavy rainfall over the Exmoor region, the East and West Lyn rivers that converge above the town swelled dramatically. Within hours, a deluge of water carrying trees, boulders, and debris surged through the narrow streets of Lynmouth, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. The flood claimed the lives of 34 people, destroyed over 100 buildings, and rendered many more uninhabitable. The town’s infrastructure, including bridges, roads, and utilities, was extensively damaged, necessitating a major reconstruction effort in the aftermath. The tragedy also spurred a national conversation about flood prevention and land management to avert similar disasters in the future.
Secret operations, declassified.
The Lynmouth flood has been the subject of speculation regarding a possible link to a secret military cloud seeding operation known as “Operation Cumulus.” Some believe that this operation may have played a role in exacerbating the rainfall that led to the flood. In the days leading up to the flood, it is said that the RAF was involved in experiments to seed clouds with agents like silver iodide to induce rainfall. These experiments were part of broader research into weather manipulation, which was of interest to several nations during the mid-20th century.
Decades after the flood, some documents and testimonies suggested that “Operation Cumulus” was indeed active around the time of the disaster. The operation’s nickname, “Operation Witch Doctor,” was also revealed. Some speculate that the military’s cloud seeding could have unintentionally intensified the rain over the Lynmouth area, leading to the disastrous flood.
In the 2000s, some declassified documents and accounts from people linked to the operation became public, sparking renewed interest in the possible connection between the military experiments and the flood.
One key figure is Alan Yates, a former RAF pilot. He claimed that he flew planes that “seeded” clouds with chemicals, and that these flights were directly linked to the heavy rainfall over the Lynmouth area. Yates’ account suggested that he and his colleagues were not fully informed about the potential ramifications of their work.
Moreover, in a BBC Radio 4 program titled “Raining Death,” details of Operation Cumulus were discussed, including internal memos that spoke about the success of the rainfall experiments just days before the Lynmouth flood. However, these documents stopped short of establishing a direct causal link between the cloud seeding and the flood itself.
However, a definitive link between the Lynmouth flood and Operation Cumulus has not been conclusively established. It remains a subject of debate and speculation, with some viewing it as a tragic coincidence, while others believe there’s more to the story.
