Gloucestershire Case Study Flooding in July 2008
o Introduction
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gloucester, and other principal towns include Cheltenham, Stroud, Cirencester, and Tewkesbury. In July of 2007, Gloucestershire had the worst flooding in recorded British history, with tens of thousands of residents affected. The RAF conducted the largest peace time domestic operation in its history to rescue over 120 residents from flood affected areas. The damage has been estimated at over 2 billion pounds.The county is recovering rapidly from the disaster, investing in attracting tourists to visit the many sites and diverse range of shops in the area. Although many areas of Gloucestershire were affected by the 2007 floods, Tewkesbury was worst hit with floodwaters around 3 feet deep.
o Short-term Effects
Human On the night of Friday 20th July food had to be ferried to over 100 school children that were stranded by floodwater at Tewkesbury High School. 50,000 homes were left without electricity on 23rd July after an electricity substation in Castle Meads was turned off due to the flooding. By 24th July, 420,000 people were without drinking water, including most of the population of Gloucester, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury. Emergency services continued repair work on the Mythe water-treatment works but Servern Trent Water feared that water supplies would not be restored for at least fourteen days. As a result, 900 drinking water bowsers were brought in and the army were mobilised to distribute three million bottles of water a day and keep the bowsers filled. On 25 July, Coors, Carlsberg, Scottish and Newcastle, Inbev and Greene King brewing companies offered 23 beer tankers to help supply drinking water. Severn Trent Water organised a temporary solution to restore a temporary water supply from the next day to 10,000 homes in Tewkesbury, the temporary solution allowed those to use it for toilets and washing, but not to drink. It was not until 7 August, 16 days after Mythe Treatment Works stopped pumping, that the tap water for the 140,000 homes affected was considered safe as drinking water.
Physical The road networks to and from Tewkesbury were completely cut off, and parts of the town were under around 3 feet of water, with floodwater even entering Tewkesbury Abbey for the first time in 247 years. Bridges collapsed in Tewkesbury over normally calm brooks.
o o Long-term Effects
Human The victims of summer's floods could be at risk from long-term mental health problems, according to research carried out for a university study. The Flood Hazard Research Centre says people who lost homes and possessions in the July floods have shown signs of depression, anxiety and panic attacks. Many people lost all of their possessions from the ground floor of their houses and many also lost their cars. They were forced out of their homes into temporary accommodation, with many not back in their houses 6 months later – or in time for Christmas. Residents estimate that the floods have reduced the value of their homes by up to £50,000.
. Physical
More permanent defences have been built around both Walham and Castle Mead to help protect from any future flooding. Severn Trent Water has installed more permanent defences around the site and extra pumping equipment to help protect against future flooding.
o Causes
24 to 25 June saw heavy, persistent and frequent thundery rain. Gloucestershire received almost a whole month’s rain in two days. Flooding in Gloucestershire was predominately from smaller watercourses which reacted quickly to the local runoff, with flooding from the River Severn not significant at this time. 20 July saw a deluge of heavy and persistent rain. This caused extensive flooding across the lower Severn catchment and, in many places, river levels were the highest ever recorded. River Severn flood levels just upstream of the city were higher than the previously recorded in 1947 as a result of the exceptional flows in the River Teme and River Avon and heavy rainfall across Worcestershire and Gloucestershire. River levels in the city at the Gloucester Docks gauge reached a peak of 4.92m on 23 July. This was only 1cm lower than the highest recorded level in 1947. Normal summer levels are around 0.6m. We have assessed the River Severn flood in Gloucester as having a 0.5% probability of occurring in any year. Many properties were first flooded by surface water or by watercourses, which reacted quickly to the local run-off. Properties were then flooded by the River Severn a few days later. Some of the properties in Gloucester which flooded in July had also been previously flooded following heavy rain on 25 June. Flood defences at Alney Island (Pool Meadow) and Llanthony as well as low level defences upstream and downstream of the city were overwhelmed as River Severn flows exceeded their design.
o Economic Effects
Positive
£4.1 million pounds was given to Gloucestershire in 2008 in order to aid relief efforts.
Negative The estimated cost of the flooding at Mythe is expected to be between £25- 35 million, wider costs to householders due to the water shortages could also be up to £25 million
o What Has Happened Since?
Environment Agency
Flood defences, increasing protection Signed up thousands more people to flood warning system Been working closely with emergency responders to provide them with earlier flood warnings, which will allow more time to take action Been working with the Met Office to develop an Extreme Rainfall Alert Service pilot for category one and two responders Moved ahead on an initiative to indicate areas that are naturally vulnerable to surface water flooding. We will provide this data to local authorities and utility companies to allow them to carry out detailed analysis on these areas. Carried out a review in each of the major places flooded Been talking with the water industry to produce a national protocol for data-sharing in order to tackle surface water flooding.
o News Article
The flooding crisis in central and western England continues with thousands of homes losing water and electricity supplies.
Up to 350,000 people in Gloucestershire will be left without running water by Monday evening, as the Severn and Thames rivers threaten to overflow. The Environment Agency said water levels on both rivers had exceeded those of devastating floods in 1947. Mr Brown flew by helicopter over Gloucestershire, the worst affected county, before heading to the police headquarters where the emergency response is being co-ordinated. The review would look at drainage and flood defences, while extra funding would help pay for essential emergency work in the aftermath of the crisis, Mr Brown said.
The Environment Agency said water levels on the River Severn at Gloucester could peak early on Tuesday, while the level of the Thames in Oxford may not peak until early on Wednesday. Severe flood warnings are in place for the Midlands, Oxfordshire and Bedfordshire. At their height, some rivers will be more than 20ft higher than normal. Environment Agency spokesman Anthony Perry said: "We have not seen flooding of this magnitude before. The benchmark was 1947 and this has already exceeded it." In March 1947, millions of pounds of damage was caused in the south of England, the Midlands, East Anglia and North Yorkshire when many rivers burst their banks. Other main developments include:
Environment Secretary Hilary Benn told the House of Commons the emergency was "far from over" and further flooding was "very likely". An independent person would head the flood review announced by the prime minister, he confirmed. Environment Agency chief executive Baroness Young told the BBC that about £1bn a year was needed to improve flood defences. The Association of British Insurers has said the total bill for the June and July floods could reach £2bn. The RAF said it is carrying out its biggest ever peacetime operation, with six Sea King helicopters rescuing up to 120 people. More than one hundred Royal Navy personnel have been sent to Gloucestershire to help the worst affected areas.
Severn Trent Water warned all residents in Gloucester, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury - an estimated 350,000 people - would lose their supply by Monday evening due to a treatment works being flooded. The situation is expected to last several days, it said.
No electricity Gloucestershire County Council said bottled water was being provided and a number of water bowsers being deployed to the area. Elsewhere in Gloucestershire, 15,000 homes are still without power after a major electricity substation at Castlemeads was turned off because of the rising water.
'Critical' situation Meanwhile, the government has rejected calls to stop building houses on flood plains, despite the recent extensive flooding.A draft of the Housing Green Paper, which was obtained by the BBC, says it is "not realistic" to rule out new developments in areas at risk of flooding. The Environment Agency has issued eight severe flood warnings and says the situation is "critical". There are four in the Midlands for the River Avon and River Severn between Worcester, Tewkesbury and Gloucester. Three severe flood warnings are in place for Oxfordshire, from Eynsham to Abingdon, and one has been issued for the River Great Ouse from Turvey to Sharnbrook in Bedfordshire. The heaviest rain is due to fall in southern England in an area between the Isle of Wight and Suffolk, where an inch of rain could fall on Monday. Gloucestershire and Worcestershire could see 10 or 15 millimetres of rainfall, forecasters said.
o Bibliography
. Environment agency website - http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/ . BBC News - http://news.bbc.co.uk/ . www.sln.org.uk/geography/enquiry/we30.htm . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/