Agencies Meet to Discuss Lessons Learned from Flooding in Borough
PR264
For Immediate Release
4 October 2006
After talks with Peter Simpson, chief operating officer of Anglian Water, about issues arising from the floods in the Borough of Great Yarmouth on Monday September 25, the Council’s Leader Barry Coleman called a meeting of all the agencies involved to evaluate the events and see if lessons could be learned for the future.
Representatives from Anglian Water, Norfolk Police, Norfolk Fire Service, Anglian Ambulance Service, the Environment Agency, Norfolk County Council, and the Borough Council joined the Leader and local MP Tony Wright at the Town Hall on October 4.
The meeting, chaired by Councillor Coleman, heard that torrential rain referred to as a once-in-a-100-year event saw 100 millimetres (4 inches of rain) fall in just six hours from 6am.
The country’s sewerage system is built to deal with a one-in-a-30year return (30 millimetres) – so no system anywhere in Britain cold have coped with so much rain falling so quickly.
Anglian Water’s figures show that 130 properties throughout the Borough were flooded internally, with 400 experiencing external flooding (gardens) by 12pm. The fire brigade was getting its first calls about flooded properties by 7.30am.
Anglian Water reported that it has 86 pumping stations in the Great Yarmouth area and all but one, which had a problem with a blockage which was cleared after two hours, were operating.
Excess water was pumped into the river to help alleviate the situation.
The Fire Service received more than 200 calls to pump out properties. It liaised with the Police to call a Silver incident – which means the setting up of an incident room bringing together different agencies to assess the problem and the steps to be taken.
The Police and Fire Services were joined by the Borough Council and Anglian Water.
The Fire Service had 29 appliances working throughout the Borough (25 per cent of the County’s resources), over an area stretching from Bradwelll and Hopton to Caister.
Water pumped from properties by the fire service went straight into the river.
Norfolk County Council deployed 40 employees from the Caister depot to assist the police with road closure signs, they checked gulleys to help rainwater escape and provided sandbags and tankers to suck up water.
The Council’s Social Services team worked with schools, 10 of which closed on the day, and provided social workers to help families with young children when requested.
For the Ambulance Service the major effect it experienced was the delay in being able to respond to emergency calls. Using Landrovers brought in from Norwich helped them contend with the depth of water which was proving to be a problem.
On the Monday Great Yarmouth Borough Council dealt with issues as diverse as rehousing people who had to abandon their homes, to setting up an emergency reception centre at the Marina staffed by volunteers from several agencies should evacuation of properties call for it.
The next day its major role, together with GYB Services, was in the clean-up operation.
The Council has since also issued sandbags to properties around the Borough which have been flooded on several occasions to help if further incidents should occur.
All of the agencies reported that people needed information and that their personnel on the ground were being asked questions such as “I don’t have any insurance what do I do?”, and issues around finding alternative accommodation.
“We saw from what the agencies told us that on the day the situation was handled well,” said Barry Coleman. “Establishing the Silver command meant that very few people had to be evacuated which is excellent, but there are always lessons to be learned.
“We know that all the agencies need to liaise more to give out a united message which will help the public and the media to keep up-to-date with what is happening and where to go for help.
“We are looking at ways technology can be used to help give more warning if a similar situation should occur. The weather forecasts didn’t, and probably couldn’t, predict the severity of the rain.
"But we have learned from Anglian Water that although it is not possible to monitor the amount flowing through its sewerage system, the company can obtain readings from its pumping stations that could indicate that a heavier than usual call is being made on them.
“The Fire brigade has compiled a list based on calls received which pinpoint the areas worst affected, this will be used as a database for all agencies to help in future incidents.
“We know that there is a civil emergency plan at county and national level. A meeting of the Great Yarmouth Civil Contingency Working Group on October 13 will look at the plan and discuss how it can be modified for local use.”
The 10am meeting in the Council Chamber, at the Town Hall, will be a public meeting. As well as looking at the plan other issues to be discussed include:
The working group will include the agencies who attended this morning’s meeting.
“Today’s meeting was extremely useful to share experiences and discuss ways to best move forward to deal as efficiently as possible with any future events,” said Councillor Coleman.
“I would like to thank everyone who attended, and have asked them to thank all their personnel who put in so much hard work on the day and since then.”
For further information contact Councillor Barry Coleman on 01493 740782.
Issued by:
Liz Dann
Press Officer
Great Yarmouth Borough Council
01493 846513