Flooding and Storms

The Impact of Flooding and Storms on Western Dorset between December 2013 and February 2014

(Observer Newspaper taken 6th Feb 2014)

1. Met Office - National Weather Picture

December 2013 to January 2014 The first storm of 5 December brought very strong winds to Scotland and northern England, and a major storm surge affecting North Sea coasts. A week of quieter weather then followed, but from mid-December there was a succession of further major winter storms that continued into early January.

Initially most of the weather impacts related to the strong winds, first across the north of the UK and then affecting exposed areas further south. However, as rainfall totals accumulated the focus of concern shifted from strong winds to flooding, including large river catchments such as the Severn and Thames. Finally, in early January, strong winds, combining with high spring tides and river flows, resulted in high water levels and large waves affecting exposed coastal communities in the south and west, causing coastal flooding.

January to Feb 2014 Around 6 major storms hit through this period, separated by intervals of 2 to 3 days. The sequence of storms followed an earlier stormy period from mid-December 2013 to early January 2014. Taken individually, the first two storms were notable but not exceptional for the winter period. However, the later storms from early to mid-February were much more severe. Overall, the period from mid-

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December 2013 to mid-February 2014 saw at least 12 major winter storms, and, when considered overall, this was the stormiest period of weather the UK has experienced for at least 20 years.

Strong winds and huge waves made conditions extremely dangerous around exposed coastlines - particularly in the south and west, and caused widespread transport disruption. There were major flooding problems, with the Somerset Levels continuing to be inundated with floodwaters from the New Year period. Severe flooding also occurred along sections of the River Thames.

The Met Office issued a Red Warning for wind - the highest level of warning - for parts of North Wales and north-west England for the storm of 12 February 2014, while at the height of the storms more than 15 severe flood warnings were in place for the coast of southern England, the Somerset Levels and the Thames valley.

2. Environment Agency (EA) - Summary of recent severe weather Since 15 December 2013 the South West Region has had a prolonged period of rainfall, with only a few days of respite. For the Region as a whole it has been the wettest winter (December to February) on record. In February Wessex received 241% LTA rainfall, Devon and Cornwall received 209% LTA, and the South West had 221%, making it the fourth wettest February for the Region on record. Wessex has now had the wettest six months on record.

River levels responded to the rainfall right across the Region, with all but one monitoring site recording exceptionally high mean flows for the month. Six flow reporting sites recorded their highest February monthly mean flows on record. The high flows resulted in numerous Flood Warnings being issued in both Areas. High tides and strong winds also resulted in many coastal Flood Warnings and a number of these warnings were of the severe category. Groundwater remains high, with all sites recording exceptionally high levels for the time of year. Soil moisture deficit remained at zero. Reservoir levels are at, or close to, capacity across the Region.

Flood Warnings and Alerts In the months of December 2013, January and February 2014 the Partnership received more than 500 notifications from the EA. However, filtering to those that may have a significant impact on the Partnerships communities can reduce these. During the period from the 10th December 2013 and the 17th February 2014 the Environment Agency issued 115 Flood Alerts, 133 Flood Warning and 17 Severe Flood Warnings that were assessed as significant and need monitoring or further action by Technical Services Officers. All the severe warnings issued were coastally based. The definition of a severe flood warning is: There is a possibility of severe flooding with a danger to life or widespread community disruption. See Table 1 below

Tidal Surges – Real Time Data On the 5th December 2013 a tidal surge of 2 meters threatened the East Coast (Lowerstoft) with the worst flooding in over fifty years. This phenomenon again became an influence in the South West of England when tidal surges of almost 1 metre affected the coast of Dorset. Below is the real time date from Weymouth on the 5th February 2014 showing the affect of surge on the predicated astronomical tide heights?

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Waves Two factors that influence the impact of the storms are wave height and swell period. The waves that impact the South Coast are generated far out in the mid Atlantic, what can dramatically influence their destructive power, when they eventually reach the shore, is the wave period or the distance between wave peeks; the greater the period the more destructive the waves can be.

Thus: Total wave height = tide height + surge + wave height, and

Potential wave impact is increased by a longer wave period.

Table 1 – Details of Flood Warnings

Date Severe Flood Flood Warnings Flood Alerts Warnings

10- 16/12/2013 0 1 4

17 - 23/12/2013 1 19 18

24 -30/12/2013 0 2 13

31 - 06/01/2014 5 45 24

07 -13/01/2014 2 3 1

14 -20/01/2014 0 4 3

21 - 27/01/2014 0 2 3

28 - 03/02/2014 0 13 12

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04 - 10/02/2014 5 26 18

11 - 17/02/2014 4 18 19

18 -24/02/2014 0 0 0

TOTALS 115 130 17

As a Professional Partner with the Met Office and EA the Partnership has access to high level information from the key agencies so that we are able to assess and predict possible impacts the sever weather on our Communities. These are sent directly by Fax and email or are available via the Met Office’s Hazard Manager secure website.

Fig 1: Flood Forecasting Centre predictions for 13th February 2014

3. Local Weather - (Source Bob Poots Weymouth Meteorologist) December started out dry with a miniscule amount of rainfall in the first fortnight, the fifteenth saw 30.4mm, the greatest fall of the month. Rain fell on every day for the remainder of the month. Sunshine was sparse, just falling short of the December average. Winds during the first 11 days were light, strengthening for the remainder of December with gusts of over 20 MPH on most days.

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Temperatures were above average on nearly all days during December but the wind chill factor made it appear much colder.

Winds were prominent during the second half of the month with gusts between 20MPH and 58MPH, with the highest being recorded overnight Monday 23rd.

January, the second month of winter continued with the exceptional rainfall of December and emulated the extremely wet January of 2013. The last two months, December and January between them have delivered 355.3 millimetres of rain. The annual average is 744.8mm, this equates to half the years average rainfall in just 2 months.

Winds were strong during the first week with gusts between 20MPH and 46MPH, and on all but 2 days during the second week, decreasing during the final fortnight of January, 46 MPH being recorded overnight Wednesday 1st

4. Legal Responsibilities of the Partnership under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004

The main civil protection duties fall on the Category 1 responders as follows:

 Risk assessment

 Business continuity management (BCM)

 Emergency planning

 Maintaining public awareness and arrangements to warn, inform and advise the public

A fifth duty applies to local authorities alone:

 Provision of advice and assistance to the commercial sector and voluntary organisations

Two further overarching duties are prescribed in the Regulations:

 Co-operation

 Information sharing

As a service we recognize that it is important to learn form all incidents but as a direct consequence of lessons identified during the July 2012 flooding and experience gained throughout the 2012 Olympics Games; changes were made to the way the Partnership planned and responded to emergency incidents. Additionally, this particular severe weather incident spanned over nearly three months. Changes included:

 A SINGLE Partnership Emergency Planning team comprising; Head of Emergency Planning, and two Emergency Planning Officers.

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 Improved joint working within the Partnership and with Dorset CC Emergency Planning Service

 Introduction of new Duty Officer systems

 Clarity of Command through the use of Gold, Silver and Bronze roles

 Better and more effective engagement with Local Resilience Forum (LRF) Partners, mostly using Telecom facilities

 Improved Communications both internal and external by the provision of a Communication’s Group

 Improving out of hours communication and information exchange using CLIO software, dedicated laptops (2012) and Blackberry phones dedicated to key roles

 Single point call handling for the Public and other Agencies through Magna Careline

 Targeted and more resilient arrangements for sandbag making and delivery

 Greater use of Community Sandbag Stores and volunteers

 Better understanding of arrangements with Dorset Waste Partnership and Highways and Contractors

 Upgrade software and control arrangements for Westham Sluices controlling the discharge from the River Wey

 Setting up Rest Centres

 Claiming emergency funding through Bellwin and other Government funds

LRF Partners and their Role

Category 1 Responder – These bodies are at the core of the response to most emergencies and are subject to the full range of protection duties in the Act.  Local Authorities, Police, Fire, Ambulance and Health Authorities, HM Coastguard, Environment Agency, Voluntary Groups and Port Health Authority.

Category 2 Responder – These are the co-operating responders who are less likely to be involved in the heat of the multiagency planning but will be involved when incidents affect their operations and works:  Water and Sewerage, Gas, Electric and Telecoms supply, HSE, Public Health England, Highways Agency and Transport Operators.

rep_20140603_flooding and storms_2 6 Flooding and Storms 5. Call Handling

Out of Hours Calls to the Partnership Since November 2013 all out of hours telephone calls to the Partnership from the Public for advice and assistance are answered by a single call service contracted to Magna Careline Limited. The Public, on dialing either West Dorset on 01305 251010 or Weymouth and Portland on 01305 838000 are met by a common options or can opt to speak directly to the operator. Detailed breakdowns of calls are available and the Partnership receives a written record of all calls and actions made by the call operators. In addition to calls from the public there were an additional 1267 automated communications i.e. fast cons, flood warnings and other automated warnings received through the Magna Careline.

200 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 April June August October December February

WDDC Incoming Calls WDDC Incidents Logged WPBC Incoming Calls WPBC Incidents Logged

Fig 2: Incoming Out of House Calls and Incidents (Magna Careline)

6. Partnership Sandbag Policy and Distribution During the July 2012 floods the emergency sandbag delivery became quickly overwhelmed by the number of request for individual deliveries to flood affected households. Following the Government’s commitment that sandbags should be made freely available to flood affected communities, it became essential for the Partnership to reassess the sandbag distribution policy in both Councils’ areas and limit the number of individual deliveries for sandbags in favour of using flood warden run communal sandbag stores and strategic sandbag drops.

As a result an interim ‘emergency sandbag policy’ was agreed by the Partnerships Silver Officer in order to better manage the unprecedented demands caused by severe weather event. This was done to ensure that the communities most at need received a timely response to their requests. Messages were sent out at the time by the Partnerships Communications team explaining the arrangements as set out below:

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West Dorset District Council

Additional sandbag collection points have been set up across West Dorset. We endeavor to provide sandbags to homes that are at imminent risk of internal flooding free of charge.

The additional community sandbags collection points were established at:

 Dorchester Market car park

 Culverhayes car park, Sherborne

 Charmouth Road car park, Lyme Regis

 George Street boat park entrance, West Bay

 Leigh Village Hall

 Chethole Vilage Hall

 Winterboune Abbas bus shelter

 Winterbourne Steepleton bus shelter

 Martinstown bus shelter

 Any other locations that are assessed by Bronze/ Silver officer’s as being required

The West Dorset DWP depot is currently preparing and delivering sandbags to those locations.

Weymouth & Portland Borough Council

Contractors are preparing and delivering sandbags to Weymouth and Portland at the following locations:

 Pebble Lane and Brandy Row car park, Chiswell Portland

 Ferry Port, Weymouth

 Nothe Parade, Weymouth

 Weymouth Esplanade

 Any other location that is assesses by Bronze Silver/ Officer as being required

In both areas additional consideration will be given to elderly or vulnerable people when requests are made.

These measures are essential as services are working at capacity the delivery of sandbags directly to homes may be difficult, but the council will endeavor to do so in *extreme cases. However this cannot be guaranteed.

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Fig 3: Prepared for the worst a harbour side property

Fig 4: a stank wall using sandbags enabled flooding to be minimised at Nothe Parade Weymouth

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Table 2 – Sandbag distribution through the Partnership

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Property Flooding Historically it has been difficult to summarise the precise extent of internal property flooding as many owners are reluctant to disclose information. However ongoing work by the County Council as the Lead Flood Risk Management Authority and The Environment Agency has to date confirmed the following totals. Below we have listed the recent totals for flooded property for both the recent storms and for comparison the event in July 2012. The resulting outcomes are plotted on the Dorset Explorer secure Emergency Planning layer.

Domestic and (Business) properties internally flooded 2013/2014*

 West Dorset 71 (3)

 Weymouth and Portland 10 (11)

*Estimate from EA

Domestic Properties internally flooded 2012/2013

 West Dorset 200 (not known)

 Weymouth and Portland 31 (not known)

The flooding incident on the 7th and 8th July 2012 was a significant event with a return period of estimated at 1 in 70 years, resulting in extensive properties being flooded both in West Dorset and Weymouth & Portland. The intense rainstorm storm generated more than 100mm of rainfall in a very short period, falling on an already rain saturated catchments.

Fig 4: GIS Plotting of flooded properties and other emergency incident related information

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Fig 5: flooding and damage to homes at Chiswell Portland 5th Feb 2014 note damage to the bay window from floodwater passing under the property.

Fig 6: flooding to roads, dwellings and business property at Chiswell Portland – along with the water is mud, silt and shingle making cleaning up more difficult.

In the East of the County large swaths of farmland were affected by fluvial flooding. In Bournemouth and Christchurch many properties and mobile home sites were affected by rising river levels. The LRF

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Tactical Coordination Group has to consider Dorset wide implications and this emphasises the need to have good local representation for Western Dorset.

Fig 6a: Flooding along the Stour Valley affecting the East of Dorset and taken during a Military Flight on 19 Feb 2013.

Major roads across the Partnership were affected by flooding and severe weather:

 The main A354 road to Portland was closed on several occasions due to large waves, risk of overtopping and actual flooding.

 Preston Beach was severely depleted due to successive storms quite early in the stormy period between December 2013 and February 2014 and this reduced the effectiveness of the sea defences and as direct consequence a number of Severe Flood Warnings were issued as the road was unsafe for fast moving vehicles.

 The A37/A35 was simultaneously closed at Stratton and Winterbourne Abbas on the night of 14th February due to flooding and Traffic incidents. Due to high groundwater levels and water on the road surface at Winterbourne Abbas and other locations in West Dorset.

A further issue causing immense frustration to property owners is that standing water from the highway is pushed into their properties by passing vehicles, leading to further damage and flooding. Several external communications messages were sent out attempting to make drivers more aware of the need to slow down water.

The storms made conditions around the coastline exceptionally dangerous. The South West main line railway was severely damaged at Dawlish, Devon during the storm of 4 to 5 February, severing a key transport link to the South West for many weeks.

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Fig 7: Portland Beach Causeway completely inundated on 5th Feb 2014 and effectively cutting of the Isle of Portland

Fig 8: The aftermath of the flooding from storms was felt at all the coastal locations and harbours all required a major effort by Councils to clean up.

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Strong winds, high tides and tidal surges acting in combination led to huge waves battering the coastline (The wavelength of the swell was particularly long, with individual waves February 2014 at Chiswell building up large amounts of speed and energy, and reaching heights of 9.02 metres on 5th February 2014

There is a U tube video available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84EQtsgA0_8 (Paste link into toolbar)

Video Clip 1 - A Wave at the point of over topping the beach and on 5th Feb 2014

Huge waves overtopped coastal flood defences and many coastal communities in Cornwall, Devon and Dorset experienced coastal flooding and damage to infrastructure, buildings and sea defences all along its exposed coastline.

Fig 9: Huge waves battered the sea defences at Lyme Regis (Dave Wilson 6 Feb 2014)

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Landslides

Many Coastal areas have become unstable leading to an unprecedented number of coastal landslips and rock falls. The photograph below is at Redcliff between Osmington and Weymouth

Fig 10: Deep slips in the clay cliffs between Preston and Osmington (Jan 2013)

Landslips within the area of Portland Port caused damage to the main gravity sewer serving the Tophill Area of Portland. The sewer is the responsibility of Wessex Water who has diverted flows via a consented outfall to the sea to enable a full repair to be completed.

Fig 11: Damaged to Sewage Infrastructure following landslips within Portland Port

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Damaged Sea Defences The storms also resulted in major coastal erosion, for example by altering beach profiles in several locations. Coastal damage was exacerbated by the cumulative effect of the sequence of storms in rapid succession. Many vital structures were undermined or damaged require immediate attention and repair.

Fig 12: Beach depletion and undermining of the sea wall at Chiswell

Fig 13: Gabion baskets on the crest of Chesil Beach twisted and distorted by the immense power of the waves

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The storms and strong winds also caused widespread impacts inland. Many trees were felled by the wind and on 12 February around 100,000 homes and businesses (Nationally), locally it was estimated by the electricity providers that 5,400 customers were without power for more than 24hours.

Fig 14: A Large tree falls from Weymouth Cemetery into Newstead Road Weymouth (Dorset Echo)

Emergency Response by Building Control Team David Potter Head of Building Control commented following the weekend storms on 14/16th February 2014.

 During the recent storms of the weekend 15th and 16th February 2014 Building Control through the emergency 24hour call out service attended 10 incidents where a Dangerous Structure had occurred

 With such a large number of incidents it was impossible for the single duty surveyor to cope with all the requests, so a further surveyor was mobilised to deal with the incident at Dorchester

 Calls initially started to be received at about 2.00am until approximately 10.00am

 The on call surveyor had to mobilise in the early hours and attend the sites in the hours of darkness which is far more onerous than dealing with incidents in daylight

 You can never see all the dangers in darkness, particularly cracks in walls

 Most of these incidents occurred when the strong winds caused damage to properties including making several brickwork gables unsafe, some of which unfortunately fell to the ground, it was lucky that this happened in the early hours when in general members of the public are not out and about

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 The other incident of note occurred at the new Thomas Hardye Leisure Centre in Dorchester where a corner of the metal roof was ripped up by the winds and was left flapping out in the strong winds

 Initially a call was received via Dorset Fire and Rescue Service at about 10:30am for help and assistance

 A subsequent site inspection revealed that the South West corner of the building over the swimming pool area had been damaged and had to be removed in order to make the building and area safe for members of the public

 Due to the strong winds DFRS were unable to assist with the dangerous removal until the strength dropped, it was therefore agreed to return in the afternoon,

 DFRS made the high reach platform available to assist with removal and recovery and the whole scene was made safe by 7:00pm

The incidents are gradually being resolved and re inspected once repairs completed to ensure that members of the public are not at danger.

Fig 15: A house collapsed gable wall of a property in Wyke Regis attended by Building control Surveyor and emergency services

Dorchester Leisure Centre account from Tony Hurley Dorchester Sports Centre: Overnight between 14th and 15th February, high winds caused damage to a section of roof at the Dorchester Sports Centre. The roof is covered with aluminum sheets and in the south-west corner of the building several sheets were lifted and ripped back. Insulating material was blown across the surrounding streets although the damaged metal panels remained in place. rep_20140603_flooding and storms_2 19 Flooding and Storms

On 15th February, the damage reported to the council by the tenant, 1610 Ltd (who operate the centre under contract to the council). Both Dorset Fire & Rescue and WDDC Building Control were notified. The centre was closed all day and DF&R removed the loose metal panels under the supervision of Building Control. The damaged area was made safe using ropes.

The centre opened to the public the next day but a 5m long area across the width of the main swimming pool (below the area of the damaged roof) has remained closed to the public. 1610 Ltd would like specialist input into a risk assessment (preferably from a structural engineer) to allow it to open the entire pool and also determine the specific weather conditions when the pool should be partly closed.

Fig 16: Roof damage by gales at Dorchester Leisure Centre

Table 3: Additional costs incurred by Partnership including insurance claimed Item Description Costs (£)

1 Additional support provided by staff in response to emergency incidents £14,702

2 Emergency sandbags £9,940

3 Emergency Repairs to sea defences and coastal protection. Cost to be met from £425,000 Emergency Provision Flood Defence Grant in Aid (FDGiA)

4 Insurance Claims made by the Partnership £180,000

Total £629,642.00

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Coastal Protection and Sea Defences *A spreadsheet summary prepared by Technical Services details estimates made to repair damage to coast protection measures throughout the Partnership area. The total costs of damage are estimated to be £425,000 excluding Preston and Chesil Beach work by Environment Agency and Military. These costs are estimated to be:

Table 3a: Chiswell Repair costs (EA)

Item Description Costs

1 Repair of sea wall structure £300,000

2 Emergency replenishment of shingle £180,000

3 Repairs to crest and Gabion Mattress £600,000

Total £1,080,000.00

Work continues to identify the extent of the damage to the sea defences both in Weymouth and Portland and West Dorset but by early March the Technical Service’s team and others across the Partnership were able to produce a summary of the impacts.

Weymouth Esplanade, Greenhill and Preston High tides and surges combined with strong south-easterly winds and very large waves caused damage on a least three occasions; January 5th 2014, 4/5th February and 14th/15th February 2014. Damage includes; depletion of beaches; lifesaving equipment, water pipes and services; access steps, promenade walls railings and fencing; concrete and hardwood access steps; damage to huts and chalets including the Lost Children/ First Aid/BCU unit.

Weymouth, Bridport and Lyme Harbours The West Harbours (Lyme and Bridport) main issues were that that the Two Harbour Master and their staff (limited) were kept on almost constant alert and dealing with clear-up from the Christmas period until late February, dealing with damage, debris, keeping people safe, road closures, damaged power supplies, sunken boats, etc.

At Weymouth Harbour, the main issue has been reduced income to WPBC from fewer Condor Sailings due to adverse weather.

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Fig 17: Bridport Harbour Pontoon at its ‘limits’ during the storm

Chesil Beach and Causeway The Environment Agency is responsible for the coastal defences and will restore the gabions on the seaward face of the bank and reshape the beach as the shingle returns.

Chesil Cove Seawall and Esplanade WPBC are responsible for the seawall. The contractor (Mackley) working on the beach for the Environment Agency is being appointed to carry out emergency work to underpin the seawall with concrete, prevent further loss of seawall fill material and protect the toe of the wall with rock armour. Emergency funding or EA grant will pay this for. The work will require temporary closure of a section of the esplanade. We have some concerns about the stability of the wall and, depending on the results of a search of information on its construction, may recommend monitoring.

Portland Port There have been several extensive, shallow landslips within the Portland Port compound on the eastern side of the island. The most serious of these is about 170m long and has disjointed a 700mm diameter combined sewer, making it necessary to discharge untreated sewage through an overflow directly to the sea. Wessex Water is proposing to install a temporary pumping system to limit the pollution until permanent repair is completed. An electrical sub-station has been damaged, which is being dealt with by the power supply companies. The land slips are likely to progress over the next few weeks and Portland Port have been asked to check that old fuel tanks, pipelines and cables likely to be affected are safe and will not cause pollution.

The active landslips are some distance from housing, the prison and public roads and do not affect areas for which WPBC is responsible.

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The Stone Pier A section of the concrete cover slab near the root of the pier has lifted and broken up. The pier was closed to the public, but following inspections has been re-opened, except for the area of broken slab. The pier is insured for damage up to a maximum of £200,000 and WPBC is seeking the insurer’s approval of proposals to carry out repairs within this figure. The work is likely to comprise some grouting of the core material and installation of a new area of concrete slab, which unlike the old slab will be reinforced and tied into the pier. Access is difficult and we will probably need to take over an area of parking next to the harbour as a contractor’s compound, so that materials can be transported to and from the site in small dumpers.

Esplanade There is minor damage to the seaward edge of the esplanade and at one point the edge has broken away. The necessary repairs are being arranged at WPBC expense, but we hope to recover the costs through emergency funding.

Preston Beach The Environment Agency is responsible for the coastal defences and has worked throughout the succession of storms to maintain an effective beach profile. Rock armour has been brought in at critical locations. The current cost of the estimated works is £407,344.

Lyme Regis The Grade 2 listed Cobb structure suffered damage from huge waves and engineers have reported displacement and cracking of the structure. Repair costs will be significant and any amounts included within the repair budget are only for survey and investigation purposes. Locally the beaches have suffered from depletion; repairs are required to the sea wall and access points and the Church Cliff groyne.

Fig: 17a Lyme Regis Cobb 14th Feb 2014 (Nick Browning)

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Charmouth There is a large crack and void to the coastal protection wall.

Seatown The counter fort drainage stone, soil nails and geotextile membranes have been exposed by the beach depletion as a result of storms

West Bexington The beach has been depleted and undermining of the coast protection wall has occurred

Fig: 17 b West Bexinton

Ringstead Rock amour has been displaced

Westham Sluice and the River Wey The River Wey is tide locked by the artificial barrier at Westham Bridge. Without this barrier the tide will flood low-lying areas of The Park District and Westham. Controlling the discharge of the River Wey at Westham becomes critical during times of heavy rainfall and subsequently higher river flows. The ability to discharge river water through the structure is a complex equation involving water runoff, river flows, lake levels and tide patterns. However in simple terms lake levels can only be drained when the harbour level is lower.

In the past it was necessary to dispatch operators to manually open the four 1 metre square penstock gates but now these are fully automated and controlled by ‘state of the art’ computer rep_20140603_flooding and storms_2 24 Flooding and Storms software that can be monitored and controlled remotely over the Internet. However, ultimately the Lake capacity is finite and the structure cannot discharge water if the harbour levels are higher; thus some flooding of neighboring areas is predicable. Three businesses and car parking areas were flooded during July 2012 reputedly involving insurance cost of over £250,000 to neighboring businesses.

Fig: 17 c Computer for remotely software controlling Westham Sluice gates

On the 24th December and the 14th February 2014 Lake level caused concern reaching 0.921m O D (within 49 mm of the floor of the Gurkha restaurant that was full of romantic diners enjoying Valentines Night!).

Table 4: The following levels are from the Operational Response Plan (ORP) Locations affected Actual lowest threshold level (m AOD)

Gurkha Restaurant 1.07

Palm House 1.26

Swannery Court flats 2.17

RSPB visitor centre 1.02

Letterbox Cottage, Radipole 2.02

Lowest point on Commercial Road 2.231 behind Swannery Court

Lowest Point on Radipole Park Drive 1.018 at entrance to Swannery car park

River Frome, West Dorset and Streams, River Piddle Catchments The storms caused the flooding of 70 (XX) compered with 200 in July 2014. In total 1848 sandbags were distributed to addresses in West Dorset. Some properties have already benefited from

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Property Level Protection Schemes being administrated by the EA and Dorset County as Lead Local Flood Authority.

The nature of the recent storms as described earlier in the report, where very different and although half the annual rainfall fell in two months, in most cases, the impact was less severe. However, as the event continued ground water level and river levels began to respond and worryingly boreholes measuring ground water peaked at just below 2012 level.

Some notable exception to this was the flooding of the Church at Charminster with an estimated damage cost of £500,000

Fig 18: Charminster Church inundated with flood water from the River Cerne

8. Coordination of Local Response

Major Incidents The Dorset Local Resilience Forum is a process for bringing together Category 1 and 2 for the purpose of fulfilling their duties under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004. The area is based on each police area and is the principal mechanism for multi-agency co-operation under the Act, to ensure co-ordination in the event of an emergency. The forum has no separate legal personality and does not have powers to direct its members. The LRF is not a statutory body but is a statutory process.

On declaration of a major incident the Emergency services will determine the appropriate response including if necessary implementing the Local Resilience forums (LRF) incident command structure: These are categorised as three groups; Gold – Strategic Level, Silver – Tactical Level and Bronze – Operational Level

Gold - Strategic Level – Strategic decision makers and groups at a local level, from each of the Category One Responders, where the situation has a significant impact or substantial resource implications, involving a large number of organisations or lasts for an extended duration. They

rep_20140603_flooding and storms_2 26 Flooding and Storms consider wider impacts and risks providing a framework for guidance for those operating at silver level. Prioritising demands, providing resources and determining plans for return to normality.

Silver – Tactical Level - Decision makers, from each of the Category One Responders, introduced to provide overall management response. Ensure actions taken at Bronze level are co-ordinated coherent and integrated in order to achieve maximum effectiveness and efficiency.

Bronze – Operational Level – ‘Hands on’ work is undertaken at the incident site or impacted areas, by Category One Responders. They are with ‘eyes and ears’ on the ground. These officers will concentrate their effort and resources on specific tasks within their area of responsibility. Each agency must liaise and co-ordinate with the other agencies involved ensuring a coherent and integrated effort.

Communicating the Information and action between professional partners Except for a few days on the 15/16/17th February following the declaration of a Major Incident on the 14th February 2014, all meetings were conducted virtually making a huge saving in time and effort. Operations locally were co-ordinated from the Emergency Planning/ Engineers hub in South Walks House and though DCC using the ‘Bunker’ at County Hall that is set up to suit Local Authority Operations at Silver level.

CLIO (Central Logging of Information for Operations) This is a very effective tool developed with Dorset Police and used extensively during the Olympics. CLIO strength is in its simplicity, security and ease of access from pretty much any device operating an Internet platform.

 CLIO is the incident logging and information sharing facility to be used for multi-agency incidents.

 It is a web-based system rated up to “Protect” level of security classification under HM Government’s current security classification.

 Easily accessible from web.

 Multi users within each agency.

9. February 14th - St Valentines’ Night Storm

Pre Storm Tactical Command Group (TCG) Meeting (Thursday 13th Feb) Met Office Report

Tonight showers, Friday mid afternoon persistent rain up to 40mm. Wind SE 45 -60 mph. Large waves predicted at Chiswell and West Coast of Dorset Friday evening and Saturday morning. Friday evening and Saturday morning rain 5 – 10mm, coastal gusts up to 80mph – very large waves predicted.

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EA Report

Predictions for Chesil Cove, very large waves, and failure of defence structures discussed but subsequently dismissed by the SME in the group.

Table 5: High risk periods/ tide times/ Predicted Surge and Wave heights: Dates/Times From: to: Tides. Surge Wave ht. m

Friday 14th 20.00 hrs 05.50 hrs 18.54 0.9m 8.0 +

Saturday 15th 08.00 hrs 14.00 hrs 06.00 0.9m 8.0 +

TCG Actions for Partnership and Supporting Agencies

 Consider information/ risks and put appropriate plans in place

 Stand up a Bronze Control at Easton Methodist Church

 Put in place Airwave communications

 EA Tide watch Team in place

 Health and other Blue light Services in place

 Bronze teams on ground (Portland and Weymouth)

o Monitor sandbag distribution from two community stores at Brandy Row and Pebble Lane Car park

 Monitor CLIO for latest updates

 Establish Rest Centre Portland and Weymouth

 Road closure teams (DCC) on ground Weymouth and Portland sides

 Carry out leaflet drop to at risk Chiswell residents approx. 140 properties

 Consider need for Military Assistance (Other than on-going Beach Works)

 Warning and Informing (DCC Lead for LRF) Local Coms team supporting Partnership

 Coordination Meetings

o Silver (TCG) at 09:00 and Gold at 10:30

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Fig 19: The Tactical Command Centre (TCC) at DCC affectionately known as ‘the Bunker’

Fig: 19a: Keeping track - old fashioned but reliable method of using Action List and Status Boards

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Friday 14th February 15:00 TCG  Bronze on site and confirmed communications with Silver

 Parks Crews on site (diverted to assist Weston Street)

 Sandbags stores DWP and Ferry Terminal Restocked

 Rest Centre ready to open

 Road closure teams in place

 Chiswell Severe Warning confirmed

 Flood Warning confirmed for West Bay Lyme Regis and Ferry bridge

 Military Assistance available and providing emergency transport across cause way

 Highway Significant issue with:

o A37

o A35 Bakers Arms to Bere Regis

o A35 Monkeys Jump to Bridport

 Silver /Gold Briefing

Friday 14th February 2014 as recounted by Jess Rice (EPO) and Henry Middleton (Duty Bronze)  At 1700 myself and Henry Middleton (Bronze duty engineer) made our way to the DCC Emergency Centre ready for the 1800 TCG  Colleagues from other agencies were already set up and working from the Emergency Centre. Grant Armfield, the duty Silver officer for the Partnership (WDWP) was already there  At 1800, Superintendent Jared Parkin of Dorset Police informed all multi agency partners that Gold had declared Dorset a major incident due to the severe weather  The Emergency Centre at DCC would be set up and operational overnight and then the TCG and SCG would be relocated to Dorset Police HQ at Winfrith  It was requested that all partners had representation at both the TCG and SCG on Saturday 15th February  We were informed by the EA that Chiswell was at severe warning and that a Bronze RVP was operational from the Methodist Church in Fortuneswell  WDWP had a bronze officer at the RVP and colleagues at Portland Heights Rest Centre from 1800  Information showed that West Bay was likely to be upgraded to a severe warning due to the high tides and strong winds just after midnight  It was decided to close the road at the Crown Roundabout and the Esplanade in West Bay  A meeting was scheduled to take place at the Harbourmaster Office at 2000 and colleagues from the EA, DFRS and Dorset Police would meet to discuss warning and informing residents in the risk area. WDWP had James Radcliffe (harbourmaster) attending  Colfox School was put on standby as a designated rest centre

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 The Westham Sluice gates were being constantly monitored and contact was made with the Gurkha Restaurant  We had been informed that 12-15 people were inside the Cove House Inn at Chiswell and were being kept inside and nobody else let in  Colleagues at the Heights Hotel had concerns about the suitability of the rest centre. It was decided between WDWP and DCC that we would move the people currently at the rest centre to the Bronze RVP in Fortuneswell. The Church had a separate room and facilities for refreshments  The A35 had now been closed until further notice  Residents in West Bay that had decided to leave their homes were taken to The Crown Inn as a short term solution  Military assistance was on route from Exeter and the decision was made to divert them via West Bay to assist with Warning and Informing and transportation  Weymouth College had been open as a rest centre in Weymouth for people that couldn’t get back to Portland  The decision was taken after liaison with Military colleagues that the residents from West Bay would be given the option of being transported by the Military to Weymouth College as resources had been found  Westham Sluice Gates were all open by 2250 and the lake level lowered by approximately 400-500mm, but was continued to be monitored  It was decided that the duty silver officer would go home and start back at Winfrith on Saturday and the bronze and deputy EPLO would stay at the Emergency Centre until not needed  Contact was continuous with the duty Gold officer and Communications officer  10 people including 2 children (aged 8-10) from West Bay did not want to return to their homes until after the danger period had gone (0130approx)  We were informed that the residents did not want to go to Weymouth College, and The George at West Bay had offered accommodation for those residents. It is believed that 4 residents stayed at The George and the rest made alternative arrangements to stay with friends/relatives or returned home  Another TCG telecom took place at 0200 where we were given an improving weather situation report  Chiswell was to stay at Severe warning until approximately 1000 on Saturday 15th February  The Portland Beach Road would remain closed until further notice. It was passable by 4x4 and they would work at transporting people back to the Island when it was safe  The sea levels and winds at West Bay had dropped and were improving but the severe warning would remain in place  The Kingston Russell gauge was still rising and could affect Winterbourne Abbas and the A35  Via Dorset Police we were informed that The Pavilion Theatre in Weymouth had offered shelter to people that were stranded. Members of Wessex 4x4 made arrangements to go to the Pavilion to see if they could help transport people back to Portland  The Bronze officer at Chiswell was stood down at 0300  At 0330 after discussions with DCC Emergency planners, it was decided that the Bronze Officer and deputy EPLO could stand down and normal duty callouts would remain in place

rep_20140603_flooding and storms_2 31 Flooding and Storms 10. Community and Environmental Impacts

Best of Britain Dorset Echo 11th Feb 2014 David Cameron described the sprit of the Portland Community as ‘one of the most inspiring things I have seen over the past two days has been the Sprite of Volunteers in our Communities. Amidst all of this and is so often the case, in the toughest times we are seeing the best of Britain’

Most residents chose to stay in their own homes during the storms but it was still essential for the Partnership to open and have available alternative locations in the form of a rest centre.

Fig 20: A Family - sheltering from storms at Chiswell Portland (taken with permission)

Fig 21: David Cameron and Richard Drax MP meet community and council representatives at the Cove Inn Portland (Dorset Echo)

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Community Drop in Session These have been set up in response to the on-going impacts of the severe weather to date drop-ins have taken place at: Chiswell, West Bay, Dorchester. Others are planned. The feedback from these will be used to better inform the operational plans and arrangements for future emergencies.

Fig 22: Community Meeting to discuss Severe Weather Impacts

Community Beach Clean-ups The Communities of Western Dorset rallied to complete a number of beach clean ups

Environmental/Wildlife Impacts Awaiting feedback from Partners.

Container Ship Debris Just as the weather began to calm down and return to a degree of normality emergency planning officers were informed of an accident at involving a container ship, the details were as below. This was an incident that was to run on until 3rd April when the clean up operation was finally declared to be over. Dorset Waste Partnership provided staff for a period of over 6 weeks to limit environmental damage and return goods to the owners for destruction.

The initial information received by the French authorities was that the vessel "SVENDBORG MAERSK" (IMO 9146467) had lost of 80 containers last Friday (14th Feb) at a position approximately 75 nautical miles, south of Lands End. Saturday evening, Maersk transmitted an update informing the French authorities that the loss would be in fact 426 containers (including 323 empty).

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The latest information is that 517 containers were lost from the vessel, of these 441 containers were empty. The remaining 76 do not, according to the manifest, contain any dangerous goods; contents are mainly pet food, frozen meat, auto parts and cigarettes. Many of these

Fig 23: Packets of ‘illegally landed’ cigarettes collected by the public

11. VIP Visits and the Military David Cameron visited Portland on the 10th February to see Emergency works in progress by the Environment Agency and Military. He also arranged to meet members of the local community and representative from organisations involved in the emergency measures. For the first time in Dorset, requests were made by the LRF for Military Assistance under the Civil Contingency Act 2005. This was called upon to assist with the huge task of shoring up sea defences and replenishing depleted beaches specifically at Preston and Chesil.

Military Assistance as reported in the Dorset Echo Royal Engineers helped to shift thousands of tones of pebbles. COLONEL Chris McGregor, commanding officer of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry said that more than 40 Royal Engineers are working to support the Environment Agency. It is the first time the army has been drafted in to help with a flooding crisis on Portland.

Col McGregor said: “We are just happy to be here to help residents.”

Coastal engineer with the Environment Agency Neil Watson said 100,000 cubic metres – up to 30 per cent – of pebbles from Chesil Beach have been displaced through the storms. Government announcements on funding are ‘welcome’, he added, but maintenance is more crucial in keeping the defences effective. He added: “We have had staff working around the clock since January 31, both in the incident rooms and on site and they have been working tirelessly to protect the Communities.

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Fig 24: David Cameron PM and Richard Drax MP visits the on-going emergency works a Chesil Beach

Fig 25: Heavy machinery at work on Chisel Beach during a break between storms; an estimated 154,000 cu. m of shingle was replaced during February and March 2014.

12. Recovery The BDPLRF established a Recovery Coordinating Group (RCG) on the 17th February 2014, chaired by Paul Kent Director of Corporate Resources at DCC. On the 18th February a formal handover was agreed indicating that the event was now in transition from Response to the Recovery Phase.

Using the BDPLRF template the following agenda was set: rep_20140603_flooding and storms_2 35 Flooding and Storms

 All utilities are restored and functional

 Demands on Public Services returned to manageable levels

 The supply chain and local businesses are trading normally

 Vulnerable people have been identified and are being supported

 Environmental issues including waste clearance have been identified

 Tourism in the area has been established

There were three formal meetings of the RCG up to the 10th March 2014 whereupon it was determined that the above had been substantially achieved. It was acknowledged that recovery process would continue for a considerable time e.g. repairs to coast protection and sea defences.

Efforts are now taking place to ensure that where possible costs of repairs and emergency measures are being meeting by others and not the Partnership. Ben Murray replied to questions from Members on the 26th March 2014 regarding funding Saying:

 I believe we have been as proactive as possible in securing grant aid and other sources of funding in response to the recent period of severe weather.

 A bid has been submitted to the EA for emergency repair works to coastal assets across both authorities. This is being considered against national priorities and eligibility criteria. The outcome is not known as of today’s date but we have assurances from Rt. Hon Oliver Letwin MP (as newly appointed Minister of Flood Recovery for Dorset & Devon) that any legitimate claim will be met from the DEFRA fund.

 Insurance claims have been pursued where possible with the Weymouth Stone Pier being a confirmed recipient.

 Other Directorates are leading on the recovery of funds through the Bellwin process and promotion & distribution of other schemes such as business support and rate relief.

 We are beginning to be given information from Government with regard to the ‘Repair & Renew’ grants which may be available for a defined number of flood affected dwellings and businesses. This is likely to be led by the Engineering & EP teams once the details are finalised.

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Fig 26: West Bay Esplanade following repairs March 2014

Fig 27: Repairs to the Portland Railway Gravity Sewer June 2014

rep_20140603_flooding and storms_2 37 Flooding and Storms 13. Government Flood Support Schemes for Homes and Businesses

Overview The Government issued guidance to local authorities following the Prime Ministers announcement regarding funding for flood affected homeowners and businesses for the period of adverse weather from the 1st December 2013 and 31st March 2014. The definition of flooding was as defined by Section 1 of the flood and Water Management Act 2010. The scheme proposed a number of distinct funds:

 Support for Businesses

 Help for Homeowners

 Bellwin Scheme

 Severe Weather Recovery Scheme

 Farming Recovery Fund

 Fishing Recovery Fund

In Tranche 1 an allocation of £62,500 for Support to communities and businesses was made to West Dorset. W&P have now received £27,500 under Tranche 2.

A process has been designed for the public and business to access the various funds this is supported by some clear advice and access to form via the D4U website. A number of officers have taken responsibility for key stages of the process.

A recent addition is the on-line version of the Property Flooding Reporting Form: this has the ability to directly link information to the County’s Geo-Wessex GIS system shown above.

Fig 27: Dorset For You information for the Public and Businesses

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The DEFRA Guidance was at ‘high level only’ and a number of issues related to administration and payment of the Grants has arisen. Trevor Hedger sent a summary of the progress to 27th March 2014 to SMT.

 In the last few weeks there have been a variety of announcements made by Government about measures to support businesses and householders affected by the recent flooding. Some of the criteria and processes for announced schemes have been subsequently adapted in further announcements.

 Stuart Dawson has taken reports to both Executive and Management Committees to agree processes for determining grant applications made with regards the various grant schemes to be administered by the councils.

 There has also been confusion through statements reported in the media locally about what is eligible for support.

 Based on the 24 February announcements of support schemes an initial application form was put together to cover applications for: a. Repair and Renew grants to improve flood protection for properties recently flooded b. Business Rate Relief c. Business Support grant

 Early applications received have shown complete disregard for the eligibility criteria for the grants and following a meeting earlier this week, its was agreed that an e form for on line completion and submission would be posted in the relevant ‘dorsetforyou’ pages (with an appropriate paper download) that would draw applicants directly to the criteria before proceeding, and so more realistically manage applicants expectations.

 Recent guidance on Repair and Renew – which is now open to applications from 1st April - requires local authorities to register if they wish to administer the scheme by 31st March and now requires Local Authorities to provide information to applicants for Given the technical nature of these applications, Ben Murray has agreed to take the lead and to register interest with DeFRA.

 All applications will be directed to Stuart Dawson, who will be able to administer quickly (if appropriate) business rates relief and pass to Ben (for Repair Renew) and to Economic Regeneration (Lloyd Savage as recipient) for Business Support. In correspondence awarding business rates relief applicants will be notified of their appropriate contact for other elements of their application.

 There has been considerable confusion about the support available for fishermen with reports in local media, and correspondence from potential applicants conflicting with the guidance from BIS and DeFRA.

 Most recent guidance from BIS, and sent by BIS to local MP’s, following reports that the Business Support Scheme could support fishermen’s lost earnings is: rep_20140603_flooding and storms_2 39 Flooding and Storms

o The Business Support Scheme is a business hardship fund for businesses affected by flooding since the beginning of December.

o Fishermen/fisheries business are eligible for funding from the Business Support Scheme if they can demonstrate that their premises, equipment and/or stock has been flood-damaged (directly impacted) or access to their premises, equipment and/or stock has been restricted (indirectly impacted) as a result of flooding and this has led to a loss of ability to trade. This does not cover losses as a result of not being able to put to sea due to storms.

 The financial awards to the two councils have been based on known reports of flooded premises at an average £2500 per premises. Government guidance encourages local authorities to determine applications on case by case basis.

 It is possible that there may be more genuinely flooded premises not reflected in the awards to each council, and/or that considering applicants on a case by case basis may result in awards exceeding the respective allocations with the excess liability likely to revert to the respective council.

 SMT is asked to consider if awards should be up to £2500 until funds exhausted, bearing mind that only 11 premises had been identified in the Borough by the cut off date for phase 2 allocations, and there is growing interest and expectation from commercial fishermen whom it may be appropriate to support given the recent advice from BIS.

Table 5: Detailed Data - Initial assessment of flooding to businesses

Local authority Business type Location Postcode Direct/Indirect

WDDC N/A Residential Dorchester DT2 0DH TBC

WDDC N/A Residential Dorchester DT2 7QX Direct

WDDC Retail West Bay DT6 4EN Indirect

WPBC Leisure Portland DT5 1BL Direct

WPBC Public House Portland DT5 1AL Direct

WPBC Public house Portland DT5 1AW Direct

WPBC Engineering Portland DT5 1AL Direct

WPBC Taxi Services Portland DT5 Indirect

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WPBC Hairdressers Portland DT5 1AP Indirect

WPBC Cafe Portland DT4 9XE Indirect

WPBC Port Portland DT5 1PP Indirect

WPBC Fisheries Weymouth DT4 Indirect

WPBC Fisheries Weymouth DT4 Indirect

WPBC Fisheries Weymouth DT4 Indirect

Table 6: Claims at 19/05/2014 from spreadsheet supplied by WestWey Partnership (Stuart Dawson)

Weymouth & Portland and West Dorset Repair and Renewal Grant Applications 2014

Flooded Applic Applic Details of Application Total Confirmation Status Notes Premises ation ation £ of Internal Address Rec’d passe Flooding (if d to different) TS Claim 1 01/04 Driveway Barrier 1,440 E.g. DCC - EA - Approv /2014 EP etc. ed Photographs 02/04/ 2014 Waterproof External 360 Walls Self-closing Airbrick 60 Total Grant Approved to date 1,860 Claim 2 24/03 19/05 Contribution towards 1,000 DCC, Photo's Not specified /2014 /2014 replacing wood block works required flooring & underfloor or amounts, heating & insurance only insurance excess excess included until extra info provided Claim 3 19/05 Lift out & pressure 3,562. No supporting /2014 wash, ISKRA evidence Regulator, Survey of provided repairs, Portland other than Marina Re launch & invoices insurance excess Claim 4 19/05 Shutters for 10 EA, DCC, EP Require further /2014 windows + insurance info on excess whether shutters were paid for by insurance, only excess submitted until rep_20140603_flooding and storms_2 41 Flooding and Storms

further evidence provided

Claim 5 19/05 Install 80m of 6inch DCC, Tech Currently /2014 drainage pipe through Services obtaining 3 garden, including 2 quotes for the inspection points & work rebuild and reinforce section of bank damaged by flooding Claim 6 18/03 19/05 Pump with Sump + 4,812 Awaiting quote /2014 /2014 fitting, 2x bespoke for storm drain flood doors, repair. construction of garden wall, toilet bung, redesigning storm drain in rear garden Claim 7 19/05 replace flood 5,000 Approx. quotes /2014 damaged used and more joists/floorboards than grant with new - Treated available. joist/timber, Further proof floorboards, marine required. ply for wall, electrical work, carpentry Claim 8 19/05 Sump pump x2, flood 5,000. photo's Approx. quotes /2014 door barrier x 2, provided used, Further sewer non-return proof required. valve, 2kw backup generator, table top dishwasher, raised double oven, inflatable bungs, flood sax, plastic piling Claim 9 17/04 19/05 Repair pump float 2,319 /2014 /2014 switch & pump failure alarm, 1x 2" sump pump, 1x 6.5 generator, electric accessories for fitting generator/pump/light s, 1x halogen flood light Claim 10 09/05 19/05 Sump pumps & 4,500 Photo's Approx. quotes /2014 /2014 belowground provided used drainage, demountable door guards, waterproof floors

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Claim 11 19/05 Electric pumps, pipe 4,234 Also included /2014 fittings & gaskets, pump chamber nuts bolts & washers at £17,369.20 associated with pump, no invoices gabion baskets & included with plastic mesh application Total to Date (if costed) 30,428

*Claims are still be received by the Partnership and work is ongoing to settle claims are ongoing.

14. ACKNOWLEGMENT OF LOCAL SUPPORT

Many individuals, organisations and voluntary groups assisted in this event I will not have listed them all, please accept my apology for this omission.

 Partnership Parks and Open Space Staff

 Dorset Waste Partnership and Dorset Highways

 Partnership Harbour’s, Beach Staff and Engineering staff

 Gold Silver and Bronze Officers WDWP

 Churches Portland

 Plymouth Brethren

 DCC Emergency Planning and Rest Centre Support Staff

 Local Businesses Tesco PORTLAND,

 Heights Hotel Portland and Weymouth College – The Portland Heights Hotel has been on standby 11 times and opened on five occasions to offer comfort to those marooned on the island. Rest center’s also opened in the east of the county at Christmas when flood-hit residents had to be evacuated.

 Weymouth College

 Crown Inn and George Inn West Bay

 Pavilion Weymouth

 Contractors: George Crook, Doonans, Tristan G Murless

 And many others

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Author

Grant Armfield C.Eng.

Head of Emergency Planning

West Dorset and Weymouth & Portland Single Shared Partnership

April 2014

THE BRIEF

Grant

I think it would be helpful to produce a report for both Management and Executive Committees on the recent flooding and storms. It’s a chance for us to put on record all of the work that we did plus at the time plus all of the other support e.g. business rates, council tax etc. that has been put into place. This should be a very positive news story about how we dealt with these difficult issues when they were happening and what we have done since. It should also cover how much funding we are looking to claim back through the Bellwin scheme.

Can you act as co-ordinator and get others to provide you with any further detail that you need.

Jason Vaughan

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