Cumbria Flood November 2009

Name Diane Jackson & David Snaith

Job title Flood Incident Management Team

Date 21st June 2011

Cumbria Floods November 2009

Background

Working with our partners at Strategic

Co-ordination Group

Community group working and Tactical

Co-ordination

An Extreme Event of Unprecedented Scale…

316.4mm of rain fell in 24 hours – the UK’s wettest day on record1500 properties flooded across CumbriaRiver Derwent and River Cocker reached highest levels ever recordedIn Cockermouth up to 200 people had to be evacuatedTragically a police officer lost his lifeNo Environment Agency’s defences in an urban areas failedApproximately 1500 properties were protected from flooding by agency assets

Impacts on Infrastructure6 bridges collapsed

1800 bridges assessed13 more closed; one

condemnedTelecomms services at riskConcern around reservoirs

Water supply largely OKWaste water infrastructure OK

Roads closed

Flood Forecasting

The Flood Forecasting Centre issued flood guidance highlighting low risk on Sunday 15th November and on Wednesday 18th November this went to high risk of significant property floodingFlood Watches issued on Tuesday 17th NovemberFlood Warnings issued from Wednesday 18th onwards

Strategic Co-ordination Group

Gold Control – Police HQ

PoliceFire and Rescue ServicesHealth – Ambulance Service, HPA, NHSCouncils – County and Local AuthoritiesMilitary – Army, RAF Voluntary Agencies – Mountain Rescue, Red CrossUltilities – UU, BT, Network Rail, HighwaysSellafieldMCAMet OfficeGONWEnvironment Agency

Information required at Strategic

Flood Zone MapsFlood Warning AreasMapsMulti Agency Flood PlanResources and equipmentUrban mythsKnowledge of local areaNumber of properties effectedWasteFarming

Community GroupsJanuary 2005 & November 2009

January 2005 – No Knowledge of what to do when Flooded

Where to evacuate too?

Do they need to evacuate?

Where is the high ground to move the car too?

How long after receiving a warning will they be flooded?

What kind of Help you might get from each Agency.

How Did We Start

Working with residents from Keswick

Briefed them what Flood Incident Management is about.

Discussed such items as lead times and responsibilities.

How best to involve the rest of the community.

Keswick Flood Action Group established

Keswick Flood Action Group, local awareness and publicity

Increased the number of people registered to receive warnings.Increased awareness of what services Agencies provide (lead time of warnings).Sub Groups set up to Identify different sources of flooding. (Adopt a drain group).Production of newsletters.Develop an Emergency Plan.Training for Group Leaders

Emergency Plan

Environment AgencyIssues Flood Watch via FWD

(telephone warning system – heads up for community emergency team

to check their e-mail)

EA contacts KFAG:-With situation update

KFAG to e-mail hourly updates to community emergency plan team

following their assessment of the river and contact with the EA

KFAG to monitor river.When it reaches 1.2m at High Hill

KFAG will telephone team leaders ofLions

Churches TogetherFlood Volunteers

To assist with river monitoring

When flood warning for Fitz Park & Riverside Flats is issued or when river reaches 1.5m

Community Emergency Team to take over and Council Offices open

How the community plan works

Environment AgencyIssues Flood Watch via FWD(telephone warning system – heads up for community emergency team to check their e-mails)

EA contacts KFAG:-With situation update

KFAG to e-mail hourly updates to community emergency plan team following their assessment of the river and contact with the EA

KFAG to monitor river.When it reaches 1.2m at High Hill. KFAG will telephone team leaders of Lions,Churches Together, Flood Volunteers. To assist with river monitoring

When flood warning for Fitz Park & Riverside Flats is issued or when river reaches 1.5m Community Emergency Team to take over and Council Offices open

Environment Agency issue Flood Warning for

Fitz Park & Riverside Flats

Rest Centre Volunteers(WI & Churches Together)

To open Keswick School and provide refreshments to

volunteers and public

Door knocking volunteers(Rotary and Lions)

Door knocking to reinforce warning and to find out if any additional

help is required

Deployment TeamsSandbagging, flood products

Filling and distributing sandbags &Inserting floodgates to properties

Links to adjoining parishes

Keswick Emergency Co-ordinating Group

(Council Offices)

Information & Communication Team(based in Foyer)Pre set templates flooding information/flu info.Useful contact numbers/websitesMedia inc Keswick Reminder/radio Cumbria/Kesmail/KFAG newsletter

Resources

Voluntary Car Scheme

Buses

Generators

Gas Stoves

Sleeping Bags

4X4’s & Tractors

Keswick Tourism Association –

Mountain Rescue

Recovery – Keswick open for business

Medical & Health RespondersTo administer first aid &

Monitor health & wellbeing

Co-ordination of incident & recovery

Fire / Police / EA (Forward control point) information role. Suggested contact to be made to control rooms.

Action on the ground

Flood Warning Cascade List

Scouts have theseAnd a hut that could be used as a rest centre

Environment Agency Issues a Flood WarningKeswick Emergency Co-ordinating Group

(Council Offices)

Fire / Police / EA (Forward control point) information role. Suggested contact to be made to control rooms.

Recovery – Keswick open for business

Information & Communication

Team

Voluntary Car Buses

4X4’s & Tractors

Generators Gas Stoves Sleeping Bags

Keswick Tourism Association –

Mountain Rescue

Rest Centre Volunteers

Door Knocking to re-enforce

Warning

Deployment TeamsFlood ProductsSandbags

Link to adjoining Parishes

Medical Health Responders

Keswick Tactical Control Room – November 2009

PoliceFire and Rescue ServiceNorth West Ambulance ServiceEnvironment AgencyKeswick Mountain Rescue TeamTown CouncilKeswick Flood Action Group (KFAG)Resilience Unit – intermittent presenceCentral locationSustained presence for 12 hours then recovery

Information Required at Tactical

Weather forecasts

Potential flood routes

Timing of flooding/ overtopping/ locations/ extent/ river level

Historical information – what happened in 2005

Urban myths – Thirlmere reservoir

What went wellPreparation – emergency plan work

Keswick Flood Action Group monitoring on the ground – regular contact

Evacuation – timely using volunteers where appropriate

Used experience of 2005 to highlight electricity issue

Early decision of formal control room set up

Regular meetings – information needed – all prepared

Buddying EA/Fire/Police and community Group

Forward Control Point at Town Hall

Withdrawal of volunteers at appropriate time

Coordination of reception centres – Town Council assisted

Provision of food – welfare

High Hill flood defence wall Keswick

A quote from a Senior Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service Officer

“Many lives were saved due to the implementation of the Flood Plan”

Quote from Graham Thompson Chair of Keswick Flood Action Group “I am proud to have been part of a coordinated response in which the community worked seamlessly with the emergency services and I am grateful to those many people who supported me”

Thank you, any questions?