Environment Agency helps communities 'bounce back' from winter floods

Many of the communities devastated by last winter's floods are now much better prepared thanks to a dedicated team of Agency officers who have been out and about helping people develop greater flood resilience.

Two villages that have benefited from their support and advice are Roadwater and Washford near Minehead, Somerset where nearly 20 properties flooded in November 2012. Both communities lie in a rapid response catchment close to the River Washford.

Local residents responded by forming a Flood Group and before long each village had its  own Community Flood Plan. Encouraged by the Agency’s flood resilience team, they successfully applied for funding from the Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Service to build a sandbag shed for storing sandbags and emergency equipment including high visibility jackets.

The Flood Group even organises informal ‘Flood Breakfasts’ when volunteers meet at an organiser’s house to discuss the group’s safety and emergency plans.

The ancient village of Muchelney hit the headlines after it was cut off by floodwater in 2012.

Situated on the Somerset Levels, the village was temporarily turned into and island and its residents had to be ferried to and fro by boat until the waters subsided.

Mulchelney has now produced its own Community Flood Plan. A new Flood Alert and Warning Service is also being developed for the village that will monitor levels of floodwater on surrounding access routes and provide advance warning for Muchelney and the nearby hamlet of Thorney. This new system is due to ‘go live’ in February 2014.

Flood resilience teams also organised a series of flood awareness events at various  locations including North Moor, Langport and Muchelney to improve public understanding of local river systems. These events were very successful and helped create pro-active flood groups, engage flood wardens and led to the formation of robust flood plans.

In Devon, a number of communities have received help from Agency flood resilience teams including Colebrook in Plympton that was flooded in 2012. Colebrook residents now have their own Flood Action Group and Flood Plan and are using a special yard to store and distribute sandbags.

The Flood Action Group carries out regular inspections of riverbanks to ensure debris isn’t causing blockages and increasing the risk of flooding. The group displays the Agency’s three day flood forecast at their local Spar shop for people to read. It is also planning to deliver newsletters to residents upstream; reminding them of their responsibilities and asking them not to deposit material on the riverbank that could wash into the river and cause flooding downstream.
                                                                                                                        
Demonstration events have been held to show people how to store, fill and handle sandbags and how to build an effective sandbag wall. Residents have appreciated the Agency’s help as this following comment, written on a feedback form, clearly shows, ‘You guys do a fantastic job and we thank you as a community. We all feel that bit more secure knowing people like you are in the background giving us knowledge and support.’

The communities of Yealmpton and Yealmbridge in the South Hams are much better prepared for floods after suffering serious flooding in 2012. Helped by Agency staff, local parish council and South Hams District Council, these two communities now have their own Emergency Plan to increase flood resilience.

The plan was successfully tested on the anniversary of the floods in July 2013 when the local volunteer emergency group examined various flood scenarios and discussed ways of improving the existing plan. They looked closely at how to limit damage and help the communities return to normality as quickly as possible after a flood.

Villagers in Boscastle now benefit from an improved flood warning service launched at a recent event entitled ‘River Valency at Boscastle’. Residents, businesses and representatives of organisations such as the National Trust were invited along to meet Agency flood resilience staff and hear about the benefits and limitations of the new service.

The Agency has been collecting river level data from three gauges on the River Valency since the 2004 floods. This information, together with modelling, has enabled the Agency’s Regional Flood Forecasting Team to identify a relationship between river levels and the point at which property is likely to flood. The Rapid Response Catchment project has facilitated the delivery of this service as one of the triggers for Boscastle’s community flood plan. The Agency is continuing to work with the community to further develop its flood resilience.

Flood Resilience Teams have also organised a special series of ‘Coping with Community Emergencies’ workshops across the region to raise awareness of flood risk and support the development of flood plans in communities at risk of flooding.