FLOOD WARNINGS
David Kemp
Team Leader Flood Resilience
FLOOD WARNING SERVICE
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Environment Agency provides a FW service
for the whole of England and Wales, including
Suffolk
My team, based in Ipswich, covers from
Hunstanton to Purfleet and all the rivers
therein.
My colleague Adam Foster and his team in
Brampton cover the west of the county
Our Aim
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The service aims to provide 2 hours prior notice of
flooding from main rivers or 12 hours prior to flooding
from the sea.
We warn of flooding from fluvial and tidal sources.
The warnings are the same but the timescale and
mechanisms are different
The intention is to give everyone the opportunity to
take appropriate action that will limit the impact of
flooding
We can not warn of flooding from sewers, burst water
mains, or surface water flooding.
Flood Warning Icons
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Stay Alert
Stay vigilant
Early precautions
Flooding expected
Take action
Protect yourselves &
your property
Significant risk to
life
Significant risk to
communities
Protect yourselves
Issuing a Flood Warning
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Forecasting
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Targeting
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Dissemination
Forecasting
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A subject in itself
For fluvial flooding we utilise weather radar, rain
gauges and river gauges to give 2 hours notice of
flooding.
For tidal flooding gauges are too late and the latest
computer models are used to predict the tide height.
2 – 5 days ahead, probabilistic forecasts
Deterministic from 36 hours
Every 12 or 6 hours
Targeting
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Dependant on levels (forecast or actual) we
will issue a Flood Alert, Flood Warning or
Severe Flood Warning
We are able to target the specific locations
that will flood rather than stretches of
coastline.
Thus reducing false warnings and allowing
the emergency services to target their
resources
Tidal Warnings
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Issued entirely with reference to forecast
Timescales range from 6 hours to 24 hours
It is NOT a sequential system – we issue the
calculated warning level
Fluvial Warnings
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Are issued sequentially
Lead times 2-4 hours. Assume 2 hours
Unlikely to see a Severe Flood Warning –
although we have the capability to do so
everywhere.
WHO DO WE WARN?
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Those registered for our service
Those who did not opt- out
Members of the public within the flood plain
property owners within the flood plain
Professional Partners
• County &Local Councils
• Blue light services
• Media
How do we warn people?
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Principal method is to warn people by our
automatic telephone message - FLOODLINE
WARNINGS DIRECT
Up to 5 numbers - can be mobile numbers
Text messages
faxes
Emails
Basic Parameters
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AVM 2005 30 telephone lines
FWD 2006 450 telephone lines
FWD 2008 900 telephone lines
FWD 2010 1200 telephone lines
FWD 2012 1400 telephone lines
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Over a million properties receive our free service
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Website
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www. Environment-agency.gov.uk
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In 2007 was able to manage 100,000 hits per
hour.
In 2012 we can manage 2,400,000 hits per
hour.
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Now in the process of revamping the site.
Floodline
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0845 9 88 11 88
One stop shop for interrogating the system
either via quickdial or via operators.
Reporting flooding
Flood advice and literature
Registering for the system
Up to 542 trained staff at 4 sites across the
UK
Over 10 times the number in 2007 (43)
What Next?
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Find out if you are in a flood plain
Sign up for flood warnings
Consider a flood plan
Exercise the flood plan
New Flood Warning Icons
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Stay Alert
Stay vigilant
Early precautions
Flooding expected
Take action
Significant risk to
life
Significant risk to
communities