Climate Change or Freak of Nature

1
Climate Change or Freak of Nature?

• Steve Jorden
• Head of Environmental Services

2
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

3
(No Transcript)
4
(No Transcript)
5
(No Transcript)
6
(No Transcript)
7
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

8
(No Transcript)
9
Eckington Road
10
(No Transcript)
11
(No Transcript)
12
(No Transcript)
13
Upton on Severn

14
(No Transcript)
15
(No Transcript)
16
Recovery Phase

• React quickly but plan
• Focus on clean up
• Provide clear, practical advice
• Set up HUB
• Visit all affected businesses
• Business Continuity

17
(No Transcript)
18
(No Transcript)
19
(No Transcript)
20
(No Transcript)
21
The Aftermath
22
(No Transcript)
23
(No Transcript)
24
(No Transcript)
25
(No Transcript)
26
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

27
Rest Centres Lessons Learnt

• Get staff in position early
• Equipment
• Staff training important
• Relief staff
• Medical Emergencies
• Dealing with trouble makers
• Pets
• Communication

28
Recovery Phase - Lessons Learnt

• 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

29
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

30
Relative positions of the Jetstream in June 2006
July 2007
31
Climate Change or Freak of Nature?

• July 2007 - worst storm on record (1600 year
  storm)
• Easter 1998 previous worst storm on record
  (1200 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)

32
Where to from here?

• 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

33
Contact steve.jorden_at_wychavon.gov.uk
34

• Contact steve.jorden_at_wychavon.gov.uk