Floodplain Managers

FLOODPLAIN

VOL 6 No. 1

February 2010 MANAGER

CONNECTING AND INFORMING AUSTRALIAN FLOODPLAIN MANAGERS

NEW NEWS ON OLD NEWS

The National Emergency Warning System (NEWS), that was INSIDE trialled at the end of 2009 (FM Dec 09) has been renamed and Finally Some State NDRP Grants 2 used for several natural hazards recently. Floodplain Manager Announced can report further on its capabilities and limitations. Diary 3 The system was previously called the National Emergency Tsunami Education Resource 3 Warning System but has now been labelled as the Emergency SES Stresses Safety After 3 Alert System (EAS). The biggest trial of the system in 2009 was Drowning in the NSW town of Deniliquin where the SES issued alerts to New News on Old News cont. 4 11,000 recipients in December. The system has been used for several bushfire events since then, but was first used for Climate Change Driven 5 flooding in the recent events in Coonamble and Mendooran (see Management page 9). The system was used to issue four notices, an Flood Fraud Concerns 7 evacuation warning, an evacuation order, an evacuation order From NSW…With Flood 8 update and an all-clear message. Flooding Bites!! 8 Steve Opper, Director Emergency Risk Management of the Australian Floods 9 NSW SES, told Floodplain Manager that while the system Seasonal Outlook 10 seemed to run smoothly, system data suggest that only 30% of America Bottoms Face Tough 11 the landlines identified by the query were answered. It is Choices known that the Integrated Public Number Database (IPND) is not accurate or up to date which may explain some of this gap. Flood Issues in the UK 11 Also, the system calls every number individually, even if a International Floods 12 business has 100 in-dial lines linked to a single directory number. Of more concern to the SES is that when the evacuation order update was issued for Coonamble, a similar number of people appeared to answer the landline phone, suggesting that most people did not respond to the evacuation SUBSCRIBE order, or had decided to return before any all-clear was issued. Floodplain Manager is distributed to subscribers. Six editions are published Mr. Opper, gave FM the following on how the current system each year. The annual subscription fee is works. $99 including GST. Back issues are available. For security and privacy reasons, the system can only be accessed by predefined individuals within organisations. Every P: 02 9354 0300 single access or test has to be recorded and authorised, post- E: [email protected] event, by the SES Commissioner. Currently, around 15 W: www.molinostewart.com.au individuals within the organisation have a logon and password for the system, all at state level. It is hoped that future evolution may enable a more decentralised access, but this is not certain.

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Copyright © Molino Stewart Pty Ltd 2009. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publisher. Permission inquiries should be emailed to [email protected] FLOODPLAIN MANAGER page 2 February 2010

EDITORIAL FINALLY…SOME STATE NDRP As I write this editorial the news GRANTS ANNOUNCED of yet another drowning in floodwaters has come through as Announced last year by the Attorney-General was the news that NSW and Qld enter their third from 2009-2010, Commonwealth funding for disaster month of floods. mitigation works and support for emergency management volunteers would be approximately $110 million over four The details are sketchy but this years. could be the third flood fatality in Qld in February. There has also The creation of the new Natural Disaster Resilience Program been a drowning in NSW (NDRP) was to consolidate the existing Bushfire Mitigation floodwaters this month. Program (BMP), the Natural Disaster Mitigation Program As is often the case, at least three (NDMP) and, from 2010-2011, the National Emergency of these deaths appear to have Volunteer Support Fund (NEVSF). occurred when people have voluntarily entered floodwaters. However, beyond the announcement there was not a lot more information about how the new program was to be run and what There have also been many timeframes were in place for grant applications. reports in past months of lucky escapes and dangerous rescues. It has now been revealed that the Program will be administered Of course, these are only the tip wholly by the States and Territories with each jurisdiction of the iceberg- the ones where running and announcing their own programs. Funding for news crews can get some projects will be prioritised within States and Territories in the dramatic footage, photos or context of their natural disaster risk priorities. This recognises reports. that different jurisdictions will have different priorities and that It is of concern that yet again the these may change over time. Each State and Territory will NSW SES has ordered the directly administer projects funded under the Program and, evacuation of a town when applications are called for, will ascertain eligibility for (Coonamble) but the majority funding. have stayed put. While the levees QUEENSLAND did not end up overtopping, people continue to dice with the Within Qld, the program will be called the Natural Disaster error bands on flood forecasts. Resilience Program with the vision to “reduce Queensland communities vulnerability to natural hazards by supporting The new Emergency Alert System regional councils and other stakeholder to build community proved to be useful in that flood resilience”. warning but still has many limitations. But as the preceding The four-year NDRP priorities are: facts show, the greatest limitation to flood warnings is human • Target NDRP funding to Queensland’s highest natural behaviour. hazard risks Let’s hope that when the NDRP grants finally get sorted there is • Enhance community preparedness for natural events through an appropriate allocation for flood community education and awareness raising education programs. • Strategic targeting to increase resilience across sectors Steven Molino

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Copyright © Molino Stewart Pty Ltd 2010. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publisher. Permission inquiries should be emailed to [email protected] February 2010 FLOODPLAIN MANAGER page 3

DIARY TSUNAMI EDUCATION RESOURCE

AUSTRALIAN CONFERENCES & A new Tsunami Community Education Kit for COURSES Aboriginal Australians in remote coastal communities has been developed to educate 50th Anniversary Floodplain Management about warnings and procedures to stay safe in the Authorities Conference: 2060. What will your event of a tsunami. flood legacy be? The kit is being distributed in physical format to Central Coast, NSW 23-26 Feb 2010 complement the on-line resource. In association www.iceaustralia.com/Gosford2010FMA with the Australian Emergency Management International Symposium on Coastal Zones Committee (AEMC) Australian Tsunami and Climate Change: Assessing the impacts Working Group (and its State and Territory and developing adaptation strategies based membership), the AEMC Remote Indigenous Communities Advisory Council Monash University Gippsland, Vic 12-13 April (RICAC) has identified prime dissemination and 2010 distribution points for the materials. www.ihdp.unu.edu/article/823 The contents of the kit include two DVDs, three Practical Responses to Climate Change 2010 – posters, one lesson plan and twenty stickers National Committee on Water Engineering which remind communities what to do if there is a tsunami. Melbourne, Vic 29 Sept – 1 Oct www.climatechange2010.org Copies of the Kit are available through [email protected]. These materials are INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES complimentary and available from the UN Water and Environment 2010 International Tsunami Information Centre at http://ioc3.unesco.org/itic/ London, UK 28-29 April 2010 www.ciwem.org/events/annual_conference Enquiries can be directed to Neil Head, Director Information and Public Awareness, Attorney- Flood Recovery Innovation and Response Generals Department on [email protected]

2010 Milan, Italy, 26-28 May, 2010 SES STRESSES SAFETY AFTER www.wessex.ac.uk/10-conferences/friar- RECENT DROWNINGS 2010.html

th Widespread flooding has continued on into 4 International Tsunami Symposium February and the next issue of Floodplain Manager will provide details on these events. Toronto, Canada, 25-29 July 2010 However, emergency services are worried about http://www.tsunamisociety.org/SymposiumFutur a lack of flood safety following three recent e.html drownings and a multitude of rescues. Despite Water Hazard 2010: International Focus numerous public warnings, people are still Conference on Water-related Changes and entering and driving through floodwaters. Hazards: Climate change and direct human A 14 year old boy was killed in Qld when the car interventions he was in attempted to cross a flooded river. Prague, Czech Republic, 20-23 September 2010 Likewise, a woman in her late 50s drowned in www.cig.ensmp.fr/~iahs/conf_frm.htm#2009 the NSW Central Tablelands. The SES, BOM and other emergency services are urging people to never enter or drive through floodwaters.

(from page 1) • The maximum number of telephone numbers (including mobiles) it can warn in each When a decision is made by the SES to issue a campaign is 50,000. warning, the following steps are required; • The system cannot prioritise one location • Working in a basic GIS interface, the SES over another, either within a campaign (e.g. officer draws a polygon to indicate the area an upstream town ahead of a downstream that needs to be warned. This query is town threatened by the same flood) or submitted to a central database linked to the between concurrent campaigns (e.g. two IPND. The number of landlines and/or different threats – a bushfire in Victoria mobile telephones within the footprint is ahead of a flood in Queensland) as the calls returned. are made at random as telephone system capacity becomes available. • A voice message which is no more than 30 seconds long and a text message less than • It also cannot give its own EAS calls priority 160 characters are created by the SES officer over traffic on the general telephone typing the messages into a computer. network.

• The SES person rings a Telstra help desk and • Once the polygon is drawn on the map, EAS explains what they want to do and sends the will list the number of phones listed within messages and polygon to the EAS. that area. If this number exceeds 50,000 the polygon has to be redrawn by the operator in • The helpdesk hangs up, rings them back and a trial and error fashion until less than 50,000 asks a number of questions to verify their are selected. authority. • Polygons cannot be pre-loaded, saved or re- • Once the SES person’s identity and authority called and they must be drawn immediately is confirmed, EAS help desk plays back the before the warning is issued. Precision translated voice message for confirmation. boundaries also cannot be set up. They have When all aspects are correct, the SES gives to be drawn ‘freehand’ and in many locations the go ahead for warnings transmission. this will capture properties which do not need to be warned The process takes at least 30mins to initiate a warning message campaign, providing there are • The phone message must be typed in no glitches when applying the process. Actual phonetically by trial and error, (e.g. sue- message delivery is a separate time frame based nami) and this could be troublesome for on an assumed network capacity of 1,000 voice some place names, particularly those of messages per minute (per campaign) and 300 Aboriginal origin. SMS messages per second. It will take close to one hour for 50,000 landlines. The rate of warning calls actually issued will depend on network capacity and the amount of While the system is acknowledged as a useful general call traffic at the time. It also depends adjunct to previous warning systems, it does on the number of busy call backs required by the have some limitations which include: EAS, with three attempts allowed per service. • The SES cannot influence the rate of The system can only have 12 people logged dissemination to manage telephone system in nationally at the same time and can only congestion. The telephone system has built-in operate eight concurrent warning campaigns congestion algorithms, although Telstra can across Australia. apparently intervene to some extent if they are monitoring the outcome. It cannot stop other calls on the network which can actually increase

if the warning generates a second wave of calls AIMING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE from warned residents to family and friends. DRIVEN FLOOD MANAGEMENT

It is clear that the system will be of limited to no Despite the constant debate into the merits of use for flash flooding events that usually have climate change, it is often recognised that pre- very little to no warning lead time. Warnings emptive action is the best way to ensure would have to be issued for severe weather or communities’ resilience is increased. generalised flash flooding issued by BoM. To date, BoM is not using the system at all, despite After the release of numerous climate change it being the organisation responsible for reports in 2009 (FM Dec 09) about previous and generating these types of warnings in Australia. impending disasters, it has come to light that The capability for tsunami has not been assessed much of the development that has occurred in but in NSW more than 250,000 homes require Australia over the past two decades which have warning in less than 1.5 hours if a land threat created potential hazards could have been warning is issued. avoided with proper floodplain management.

The cost of running a warning campaign through Climate change predictions are for wilder swings EAS may influence the frequency of use and the and greater extremes in rainfall. More intense nature of the events it will apply to. There is a rainfall results in larger, swifter and more system access fee per campaign and a per damaging floods. call/SMS cost which are both paid for by the emergency service using the system. The overall A decade ago (2000), D Ingle Smith in his book cost per call is approximately $1 per number. “Water in Australia”, estimated that in 1996 there were 151,000 dwellings in Australia at risk Although the system is available nationally, from flooding in the (then) 1 in 100 year flood Western Australia has decided not to use EAS because it already had its own telephone-based Cr Alan Ezzy, Chair of the Floodplain emergency alert system. When that service was Management Authorities recently stated that “we originally rolled out it depended on people need to be making allowances for climate change opting into it. Now that legislation has been in all infrastructure and development now, it is passed allowing these systems to automatically over two years since estimates of these rainfall access all telephone numbers, WA plans to use increases were first published by government its own system rather than the EAS. departments.”

Despite the limitations with the service, it has Cr. Ezzy is calling on the Federal and State been proven in recent events to provide timely Government to “take the lead and make climate warnings to residents of an impending natural change allowances compulsory for all hazard. A second generation EAS is due to be infrastructure funded or partially funded by those launched about April 2010 and will address Governments.” issues such polygon import/export and direct access without needing to go through a Telstra The FMA is also calling on all State help desk. The system capacity limits will not be Governments to immediately require that climate improved. Location-based SMS i.e. to all change allowances for rainfall and flooding be mobiles inside the polygon irrespective of billing considered in all developments, particularly address, is under consideration. housing and expansion which is leading to inappropriate development of flood liable land. more information: http://www.emergencyalert.gov.au Source: FMA Media Release 8 January 2010

(from page 2) • community awareness and readiness measures Applicants are invited to submit project proposals that promote the NDRP vision and • audits of levees and warning systems objectives but must address one or more NDRP priorities and adhere to funding conditions • research to improve knowledge of natural outlined in the Applicant Guidelines. disaster risk and mitigation

The grant application timeframe was relatively • GIS-based hazard and flood data for disaster short and applications for 2009-2010 funding mitigation purposes closed on the 31 January 2010. • land and building purchase schemes in high- For more information on the program, applicant risk areas. guidelines and to stay informed for next year’s round of funding go to The website also provides a list of projects that www.communitysafety.qld.gov.au/ndrp/ will generally not be eligible for funding under the NDRGS. NEW SOUTH WALES The opening and closing date for applications In NSW, the program will be called the Natural has (at the time of print) not be set yet, however Disaster Resilience Grants Scheme (NDRGS) an announcement is expected by the end of and will be open to applications from local February 2010. agencies responsible for disaster management and disaster mitigation works (e.g. local For more information on the scheme, how to governments, indigenous community councils, apply and check the application dates go to: unincorporated remote communities) and state www.emergency.nsw.gov.au/content.php/831.ht government agencies where that agency is the ml relevant responsible agency (e.g. fire services, State Emergency Service). SOUTH AUSTRALIA The SA program uses the branding of the NDRP In some cases, the private sector may wish to which aims to support a broad range of natural undertake and fund measures under the NDRGS. disaster risk priorities including: Such participation by the private sector is permitted but applications must still be endorsed • Natural disaster mitigation risk management and submitted through the appropriate local or studies, works and activities that contribute State government agency. to safer and more resilient communities. Eligible projects that contribute to safer, • Climate Change adaptation strategies that sustainable communities include: enhance South Australia's disaster resilience. • natural disaster risk management studies • Support for local government to assist them to effectively discharge their emergency • disaster mitigation strategies management responsibilities. • investment in disaster resilient public • Encouraging partnerships with business and infrastructure community groups to improve their ability to • structural works to protect against damage assist communities and be integrated into (e.g. disaster proofing existing buildings at response and recovery arrangements. risk, levees, permanent fire breaks etc.) Eligible organisations are invited to apply now for 2009-10 NDRP grant funding. Applications • disaster warning systems

are to be submitted no later than Friday 26 National Emergency Volunteer Support Fund February 2010. (NEVSF) and Natural Disaster Mitigation Program (NDMP). For more information and how to apply go to: www.safecom.sa.gov.au/site/emergency_manage The new grants will have a strong disaster ment/natural_disaster_resilience_program.jsp resilience focus and therefore be a little less restrictive than the old grant programs. Once the AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY applications are received, successful applicants The ACT currently does not have any publicly will be able to commence their programs or available information on the program. In projects from 1 July 2010. response to a request by Floodplain Manager, The program does not have any available the ACT Emergency Services Agency advised: information online yet but you will be able to • The ACT will be calling for application in access the information and applications for these March to coincide with budget cycles. new grants on the Northern Territory Emergency Service website at the end of February or early • The program will be advertised in local March 2010. newspapers and government bulletins. To monitor the application process go to: • All documentation relating to the program www.emergency.nt.gov.au will be placed on the ESA website when TASMANIA finalised. Tasmania will be running a grants program, To monitor the application process go to: however timelines will be dependent on the State www.esa.act.gov.au election which has just been called. The Tasmanian SES hopes to be progressing WESTERN AUSTRALIA submissions over the next few months. Yet a WA currently does not have any available grant under this program has already been information on its program and the Fire and awarded for a project (FM Dec 09). Emergency Services Authority (FESA) advised Floodplain Manager that WA is some way from To monitor the application process go to: announcing the grant program and application www.ses.tas.gov.au process and so cannot advise of timelines at this VICTORIA stage. At time of print, requests to Victorian emergency However, FESA also stated that the funding agencies were unanswered and there was no available is for the 2009/2010 program so they information available online. are hoping to finalise something in the next few months and potential applicants should keep an FLOOD FRAUD CONCERNS eye on their website. Following the recent floods in northern NSW To monitor the application process go to (see page 9), the SES has issued a warning to be www.fesa.wa.gov.au on the lookout following reports of people pretending to fundraise in the Brewarrina area. NORTHERN TERRITORY The Northern Territory is presently finalising The SES would like to remind the community arrangements for its grants program and will be that it never doorknocks or calls for fundraising calling for applications towards the end of appeals and anyone who received a suspicious February and early March. The Territory will be call should call their local SES unit. implementing similar programs to the previous Source: www.ses.gov.au

FROM NSW…..WITH FLOOD Many Opposition government members and some community spokespeople had pushed for Following debates around the large volume of these thresholds to be overhauled and national water that flooded large parts of north-west regulations put in place that mandate water NSW, Premier Kristina Keneally has held talks sharing and restore flows. with SA Premier Mike Rann and has agreed in- principle for “reasonable environmental flows” Last year, Premier Mike Rann threatened to take of floodwaters to reach South Australia. Victoria to the High Court over similar water trading but acknowledged that they wouldn’t Federal Water Minister Penny Wong announced have done so again with NSW, as they would that as a result the SA Lower Lakes will receive probably lose. an extra 168 billion litres of water from March. Federal Water Minister Penny Wong has said The agreement came after sustained political and that a new basin plan for the Murray to be community debate and pressure surrounding the released later in the year would set sustainable large amounts of water that would be dammed diversion limits. and diverted upstream in NSW and whether it should be shared between the states. “These decisions will deliver nearly 340 billion litres of water to reduce the risk of acidification Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the and improve habitat for waterbirds and other Government was happy to facilitate talks species,’’ Senator Wong said. “These flows will between the states and would consider any SA also benefit the River Murray by improving proposal on water-sharing arrangements. water quality and reducing the threat of further riverbank slumping.’’ The flooding in NSW was estimated to inject about 300 billion litres of water in the Murray- Source: The Independent Weekly, Sydney Darling river system but there were initial Morning Herald, The Advertiser, ABC Online concerns that NSW would “hog the lot”. Flows will be directed through Menindee Lakes in FLOODING BITES!! NSW to swell storages. The water will then be allowed to flow into the ailing lower lakes at the Apart from the damage that is prevalent in end of the Murray River. central Australia and western NSW, another threat is facing these communities. There has Premier Mike Rann was happy with the one-off been increasing worry that mosquito-borne boost stating, “The lower lakes have been in infectious diseases (e.g. Ross River Fever) may imminent danger of ecological collapse due to pose a serious concern due to the long amount of acidification brought on by low inflows from the time that has lapsed since the last flood, lowering Murray River because of the drought”. immunity in human and animal populations.

Despite the apparent goodwill between the State University of Canberra Professor Suresh Governments involved, Federal Opposition Mahalingham agrees, stressing that there is a spokesman Simon Birmingham called on Kevin particularly high risk of infection in the wake of Rudd to convene to negotiate truly national floods due to an increase in water deposits and management of the water system. The Greens are high temperatures causing high humidity. He also calling for an independent umpire to points out that prevention is better than cure so manage the nation’s water. people in flood affected areas should wear insect repellent and long sleeved clothing. Currently, national agreements give NSW control over allocation until the Menindee Source: The Australian storages reach 640GL, at which the Murray- Darling Basin Authority assumes responsibility.

Coonamble from heavy storms that dumped rain AUSTRALIAN FLOODS from Christmas to mid January across the region.

Flooding was widespread across the country More than 200mm of rain was expected to have during December and January. The worst of the fallen in north-western and central NSW in the flood events are reported below. wake of Cyclone Laurence in the days following Christmas Day. WESTERN AUSTRALIA An evacuation order was issued via the new Tropical Cyclone Laurence lashed the Pilbara Emergency Alert System (pg 1) to residents in region in northwest WA a week before north and east Coonamble and those inside the Christmas with the SES issuing flash flood levee by the SES on January 2. The State warnings. Flood warnings were also issued for Government declared Coonamble and other the North and West Kimberley region. Around areas including Lachlan, Bland, Parkes, 150mm of rain was believed to have fallen on Brewarrina, Narrabri, Warren and Broken Hill the region with wind gusts of up to 285km/hr as LGA’s a natural disaster zone. the cyclone crossed the coast. River levels on the Castlereagh, Bogan, Paroo, QUEENSLAND Warrego, Lower Namoi, Barwon-Darling and Lower Macquarie subsided to minor flood levels SOUTH WEST on 7 January. Over 500 SES volunteers, Major flood warnings were in place in south including those from outside the affected flood west Queensland with Coopers Creek and the areas and local volunteers, assisted in the flood Paroo, Bulloo, Landsborough and Thomson response over the 14 days. Rivers all experiencing moderate to major flooding at the start of January from ex-Cyclone A major flood warning was re-issued for the Lawrence. In 24 hours, the town of Longreach Darling River at Bourke and Louth and for areas had received 47 millimetres of rain, Muttaburra downstream at the end of January, following the more than 100mm, Winton 73mm and heavy rainfall at Christmas. Barcaldine 63mm. Major flooding lasted at Cooper Creek and the Thomson and Barcoo NORTHERN TERRITORY Rivers until 18 January. Central Australia experienced record flooding as between 100 - 280mm rainfall across the region NORTH EAST AND CENTRAL caused flooding which closed the Stuart Hwy Ex-Cyclone Olga and a monsoonal trough, and damaged a section of railway track, forcing combined with huge swells and king tides to the iconic Ghan train to turn back to Adelaide. place central and north eastern Qld on flood alert. Flood warnings were issued for coastal Northern Territory emergency services rivers and streams from Townsville to Mackay. volunteers doorknocked homes on 9 January Mackay recorded up to 330mm in 24 hours and a when heavy rains caused the Todd River, near king tide of 6.6m. Some residents were advised Alice Springs, to swell and break its banks. to prepare to evacuate, but the threat receded as Two men were killed after one of them got into the rain ceased. trouble swimming in the swollen Sandover River, 220km northeast of Alice Springs. His NEW SOUTH WALES brother jumped in to help him but both were swept away. Police and emergency services were Flood warnings were put in place for numerous also required to airlift emergency food and rivers in NSW including a Major Flood Warning medicine to remote communities which were cut for the Castlereagh River downstream of off by the record floods.

SEASONAL OUTLOOK rather low for this period in that part of the country. The national outlook for total rainfall over late summer to mid-autumn (February to April) Contrasting this, the chances are between 60 and shows contrasting odds across the country: 70% for above average February to April falls in below average falls are more likely in northern a band stretching from the northwest to the parts of both Queensland and the NT, whereas a interior of WA. wetter than normal three months is indicated for northwest and central WA. Across the rest of the country, the chances of exceeding the median February to April rainfall The pattern of seasonal rainfall odds across are between 40 and 60%. Australia has been produced using recent Pacific and Indian Ocean temperature patterns, with the An El Niño event persists across the Pacific warm Pacific (El Niño) having the greater Basin, with most leading climate models influence. suggesting the tropical Pacific will gradually cool during the next three to six months. The The chances of exceeding the median rainfall for influence of El Niño on Australia's rainfall February to April are between 30 and 40% over patterns often weakens in the second half of a broad region covering north Queensland and summer - we've already seen heavy rain across much of the northern NT (see map). In one part parts of inland eastern Australia during of north Queensland the chances drop below December. The SOI is approximately −5 for the 30%. 30 days ending 16 January.

In addition, there is a moderate tendency in the Source: www.bom.gov.au/climate/ahead odds favouring a drier season in a small section of southwest WA, although totals are normally

INTERNATIONAL NEWS Rather than recognise the true flood risk and focus on fixing the levees, residents have AMERICAN BOTTOMS FACE TOUGH motivated politicians to fight FEMA on the levee CHOICES decertification and re-mapping. Several area politicians have introduced state and federal In the Central U.S. is an area commonly called legislation to stop the floodplain mapping or to “the American Bottoms.” This area is located change the definition of “floodplain” thereby near the confluence of America’s three greatest discouraging flood insurance coverage and rivers: the Mississippi, the Missouri and the allowing construction to occur in these Ohio. The largest urbanised area in the American vulnerable floodplain areas. Bottoms is metro St. Louis, which straddles the Mississippi River between the states of Illinois Despite political efforts otherwise, State and and Missouri. Several FMA members visited St. Federal officials continue to warn residents of Louis in 2003. residual flood risks. Unfortunately, very few residents in the Metro East have purchased flood While the City of St. Louis sits largely on high insurance or taken any steps to protect ground, the Illinois side of the river is nearly all themselves in the event of a catastrophic levee floodplain. The Illinois side of the river is failure. Soon, warmer weather will arrive in the commonly called “the Metro East”. Central US. Winter snow melts and dangerously Approximately 200,000 residents and 50,000 high winter river stages will increase the risks of businesses, including large oil refineries and flooding. Politicians may soon realise they chemical plants are located in the Metro East. should stay out of floodplain management and In the Metro East, five large levee systems leave such matters up to the flood experts. Stay dating from the 1940s protect the area from 100- tuned…. year flood depths of over seven metres in places. By Paul Osman, Floodplain Programs Manager, Historically, these large levee systems have been Illinois Office of Water Resources determined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide 100- FLOOD ISSUES IN THE UK year flood protection, thereby preventing the area from being officially designated as A report has been released by the Environment floodplain on FEMA maps. Agency, two months after major flooding across the UK destroyed homes and businesses in late However, following several years of catastrophic November. levee failure in the US, Federal levee inspection and certification standards have intensified. In The report suggests that England will need to 2007, the Federal government determined the double its investment in flood defences to £1 Metro East levees were no longer providing 100- billion a year by 2035 if it is to keep pace with year flood protection due to under-seepage and climate change and prevent future devastation. maintenance concerns. The report suggests that the recent floods caused Estimates to repair the levees have continued to £200m of damage and the floods in 2007, £660m spiral upwards and now exceed $500 million in damage with water supplies and treatment (USD). The entire Metro East area- all 200,000 plants the worst affected. residents and 50,000 businesses- were scheduled to be mapped back into the floodplain. In the US, The recent floods in Cumbria have seen 454 this would require the mandatory purchase of households receive emergency grants and flood insurance and strict building construction £1.73m received in donations and pledges to The regulations including the elevation or flood Cumbria Flood Recovery Fund. proofing of any new development. Source: WaterWorld.com, www.abi.org.uk

INTERNATIONAL FLOODS Peru

There were 17 international floods reported Four days of torrential rainfall in late January has during December 2009 and January 2010. The seen severe mudslides across Peru, which has worst of these included: killed seven people and left thousands isolated and stranded. Uruguay The flooding which occurred across Aguas Eighteen days of torrential rainfall that continued Calientes towns, Cusco, Huancavelica, well into December 2009 killed 12 people and Apurimac and Puno regions, also destroyed displaced 22,000. The flooding was also seen in roads and railways leading into and out of the parts of Brazil and Argentina. popular tourist spot Machu Picchu.

Sri Lanka More than 2,500 foreign tourists (mainly Australian and American) were trapped by rain Following from floods that displaced 60,000 and mudslides in the small town of Aguas people in November, Sri Lanka was again hit Calientes, at the base of the Inca citadel for with three days of torrential rainfall in mid- several days. December that resulted in the displacement of 300,000 people. Airlift evacuations were needed to rescue the stranded people, with the elderly and the sick Brazil being rescued first.

Ten days of torrential rainfall that began on New However, with only a hundred or so being Years Day took the lives of 85 people in south evacuated a day, reports surfaced of wealthier east Brazil. A further 2,500 people were tourists bribing rescuers to allow them aboard as displaced. Brazil continued to suffer with the food and other suppliers began to run low, and rain moving across the country for another 19 local vendors doubled their prices. days until 28 Jan, during which 72 more people were killed and 6,000 displaced. A 23-year-old Argentine tourist and his 33-year- old Peruvian mountain guide died on the Inca Kenya Trail, buried under mudslides.

Heavy rain was responsible for the deaths of 21 Two Peruvian men drowned in the Cusco people and the displacement of 30,000 more over Valley’s swollen river, another died in a a 24-day Christmas and New Year period from landslide, and a mother and her child were killed 21 Dec to 13 Jan. The rain fell in the Turkana in Cusco when heavy rainfall made their home East and West Pokot districts and cut main roads collapse. between Kenya, Ethiopia and Sudan. However, amongst the destruction, Peruvian Bolivia officials have praised a group of Australian backpackers who have used their time stranded Thirteen days of heavy rain beginning on New to help the villagers build a levee in Aguas Years Day killed five people and displaced 4,500 Calientes. more in several regions in Bolivia. Source: Sydney Morning Herald Egypt

Torrential rain on 18 and 19 Jan also affected areas of Israel and Jordan with ten people dead and 4,000 displaced.