Transcript A rainy day in July 2007: Steve Jordan

Climate Change or Freak of Nature?
Steve Jorden
Head of Environmental Services
About Wychavon
• Biggest district in
Worcestershire
• 260 square miles
• 116,598 population
• 3 towns - 100 villages
• nearly 4000 businesses
• Cotswold AONB
• 3100 listed buildings
• 65 conservation areas
Emergency Response
• Let non-essential staff go
home
• Set up central contact
point and command
centre in Council offices
• Set up 5 rest centres
• Over 1000 people to
feed, water and bed down
• Manage media
• Support for Silver and
Gold
Eckington Road
Upton on Severn
Recovery Phase
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React quickly but plan
Focus on clean up
Provide clear, practical advice
Set up HUB
Visit all affected businesses
Business Continuity
The Aftermath
Emergency Response – Lessons
Learnt
• Choose location of rest centres carefully but be
flexible
• Predict and mitigate – declare emergency early
• Practicalities of setting up a command centre
• Have a good up to date contact list
• Expect the unexpected
• Review Emergency Plan and Risk Assessments
• Identify and improve resilience of critical
infrastructure
• Be prepared to make decisions
Rest Centres – Lessons Learnt
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Get staff in position early
Equipment
Staff training important
Relief staff
Medical Emergencies
Dealing with trouble makers
Pets
Communication
Recovery Phase - Lessons Learnt
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Agree waste disposal policy beforehand
Set up contact with Insurance companies
Consider staff welfare issues
Multi agency approach- HUB
Plan public health messages
Get out and about – be visible
The Facts
• 1600 + homes and 200 businesses
flooded
• 101 staff and many volunteers helped
• 5.51 m – highest ever of River Avon
• 15 feet of water in Droitwich High Street
• 100 tonnes of sand made into sandbags
• 250 families still living in caravans
Relative positions of the Jetstream
in June 2006 & July 2007
Climate Change or Freak of Nature?
• July 2007 - worst storm on record (1:600 year
storm)
• Easter 1998 – previous worst storm on record
(1:200 year storm)
• Pershore received 120mm of rain in a 24hr
period (5.88 times the average)
• May & June particularly wet months
• River levels up six times higher than normal
• Two types of flooding resulted
– Surface water flooding (Pluvial)
– Rivers overtopping (Fluvial)
Where to from here?
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Flood Action Plans
Planning implications
Surface Water Management Plans
Land drainage enforcement
Design Criteria
Build local resilience & raise awareness
Long term housing and health issues
Contact: [email protected]
Contact: [email protected]