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FLOOD WARNINGS. David Kemp Team Leader Flood Resilience. FLOOD WARNING SERVICE. 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.
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FLOOD WARNINGS David Kemp Team Leader Flood Resilience
FLOOD WARNING SERVICE • 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 • 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 • 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 • Forecasting • Targeting • Dissemination
Forecasting • 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 • 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 • 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 • 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? • 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? • 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 • 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 • Over a million properties receive our free service
Website • www. Environment-agency.gov.uk • In 2007 was able to manage 100,000 hits per hour. • In 2012 we can manage 2,400,000 hits per hour. • Now in the process of revamping the site.
Floodline • 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? • 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 • Stay Alert • Stay vigilant • Early precautions • Flooding expected • Take action • Significant risk to life • Significant risk to communities