Local Climate Impacts Profile (LCLIP) for the Omagh District Council area
June 2012 Acknowledgements
This report on the first local climate impact profile (LCLIP) in Northern Ireland was undertaken by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health in Northern Ireland (CIEH NI) in partnership with Omagh District Council.
Authors: Colin Eskins, Gary McFarlane (CIEH), Dr Ian Leitch, Raymond Smyth (Omagh DC)
Other Contributors: Dr Joanna Wydenbach (CIEH), Jane O‟Neill (Omagh DC) and interviewees from 8 Departments as detailed below.
Arts & Tourism Mr. Frank Sweeny
Building Control Mr. Sean Kelly
Client Services Mr. Kevin O‟Gara
Corporate Services Mr. Danny McSorley
Development Mr. Harry Parkinson
Emergency planning coordinator Ms. Joan M. McCaffrey
(WGEHS) Environmental Health Mr. David Gillis
Finance Ms. Joan McCaffrey
Human Resources Ms. Rosemary Rafferty
It is hoped that this report will assist Omagh District Council in developing a robust climate change adaptation strategy and may assist other local authorities in Northern Ireland to do likewise.
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Abbreviations
CCPB Civil Contingencies Policy Branch
CE Chief Executive
CIEH NI Chartered Institute of Environmental Health Northern Ireland
EHO Environmental Health Officer
EMS Environmental Management System
EPCO Emergency Planning Coordinating Officer
IPCC International Panel on Climate Change
LCLIP Local Climate Impact Profile
NILGA Northern Ireland Local Government Association
OFMDFM Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister
PSNI Police Service of Northern Ireland
SAM Sustainable Audit Matrix
SEHO Senior Environmental Health Officer
WGEHS Western Group Environmental Health Service
UKCIP United Kingdom Climate Impact Profile
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Table of Contents Acknowledgements ...... ii Abbreviations ...... iii Table of Contents ...... iv List of Figures ...... vi 1. Introduction ...... 1 1.1 Background ...... 1 1.2 Benefits ...... 1 1.3 Current UK overview ...... 1 1.4 Climate change ...... 1 1.5 Aim and objectives ...... 2 2. Methodology ...... 4 2.1 Phase 1: Media trawl ...... 4 2.2 Interviews ...... 4 3. Northern Ireland’s Climate ...... 5 3.1 Temperature ...... 5 3.2 Sunshine ...... 5 3.3 Rainfall ...... 5 3.4 Snowfall ...... 6 3.5 Wind ...... 6 4. Omagh Climate Profile ...... 7 4.1 Omagh ...... 7 4.2 Temperature ...... 7 4.3 Rainfall ...... 7 4.4 Wind ...... 7 4.5 Sunshine ...... 8 4.6 Snowfall ...... 8 4.7 Sleet/snowfall ...... 8 5. UK Climate Projections ‘09 ...... 9 6. Media Trawl ...... 10 6.1 Strong winds ...... 10 6.2 Heavy rainfall/flooding ...... 10 6.3 High temperatures ...... 11 6.4 Frost, ice, snow ...... 11 6.5 Lightning ...... 11 6.6 High impact events ...... 11 6.7 Tabulated media trawl- weather findings by type of event ...... 12 iv
6.7.1 Media trawl findings: heavy rainfall/flooding ...... 12
6.7.2 Media trawl findings: strong winds ...... 13
6.7.3 Media trawl findings: frost/ice/snow ...... 14
6.7.4 Media trawl findings: high temperatures ...... 15
6.7.5 Media trawl findings: lightning ...... 15
7. Council Departmental Interviews ...... 16 8. Results ...... 17 8.1 Impact of past weather related events ...... 17 8.2 Monitoring, recording or assessing the risks associated with severe weather ...... 17 8.2.1 Advance monitoring ...... 17
8.2.2 Investigative tools (to assess impacts) ...... 17
8.2.3 Planning for the future ...... 17
8.2.4 Suggestions as to how ODC might better prepare for dealing with future events. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….18
8.2.5 Assessment of the impact that past weather events had had upon departmental operations ...... 18
8.2.6 Any future plans for stakeholder engagement on climate related events ...... 18
8.2.7 Disadvantaged groups ...... 18
9. Deprivation ...... 20 9.1 Deprivation by Ward ...... 20 10. Other Financial Costs...... 21 11. Discussion and Recommendations ...... 22 11.1 Discussion ...... 22 11.1.1 Departmental Reviews ...... 22
11.1.2 Data recording ...... 22
11.1.3 Partnerships ...... 23
11.1.4 Vulnerable groups ...... 23
11.2 Recommendations and next steps towards adaptation ...... 23
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List of Figures
Fig1: Summary of climate change projections for Northern Ireland to 2050 based on a medium scenario...... 9
Fig. 2: Pie chart illustrating the percentages of headlines, discovered during the media trawl of local newspapers, attributed to each extreme weather event occurring between January 2001 and December 2010 ...... 10
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1. Introduction 1.1 Background
A Local Climate Impact Profile (LCLIP) is a tool which is intended to assist local authorities better understand the vulnerabilities of their particular area to the impacts of climate change. Such understanding is seen as a powerful catalyst to develop awareness within local authorities, as well as providing a useful starting point towards developing a climate change adaptation strategy.
In order to assess current vulnerabilities, there is a need to understand how and why the local authority area is affected by the weather and how this impinges on its ability to deliver services.
The methodology has been developed by the UK Climate Impacts Partnership (UKCIP). The UKCIP was established in 1997 to help co-ordinate scientific research into the impacts of climate change, and to help organisations adapt to those unavoidable impacts. UKCIP is based at the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford.
1.2 Benefits
An LCLIP is a starting point towards creating a climate change adaption strategy. It can help highlight problem areas and prepare the local authority to respond better to future events. It can also assist in raising awareness of potential impacts with key stakeholders, for example elected members, Council staff, local businesses and the general public. Using the findings from an LCLIP helps inform future planning and adaptation to ensure continuity of services and also to return cost savings in areas such as emergency provisions, preparing properties for winter, or minimising insurance claims.
1.3 Current UK overview
To date 106 councils in England have completed LCLIPs, with many more councils committed to doing the same. Scotland and Wales have produced four LCLIPs each, with more expected.
Omagh District Council (ODC) is the first local authority in Northern Ireland (NI) to complete an LCLIP.
1.4 Climate change
Our climate is changing. The following points highlight some of those documented changes:
Eight of the warmest 15 years globally have occurred since 20001.
1 Studies by the UK Met Office, the Climate Research Office Unit and the NASA Institute for Space Studies.
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The observed global temperature increase since 1990 has been 0.33oC, a figure which lies at the upper end of the 2007 International Panel on Climate Change‟s (IPCC) predicted range (Fusell 2009) Over the next two decades, a warming of 0.2oC is expected per decade (IPCC, 2007). By the end of the 21st century, best estimates from a range of six differing scenarios have projected global temperatures to rise by between 1.8-4.0oC (IPCC, 2007).
Apart from gradual climate change, it is expected that there will be an increased frequency and intensity of some extreme weather events. Floods, droughts, heat waves and storm surges could become more frequent and intense (Van Vuuren et al, 2010).
Such changes will create a number of impacts, including direct health impacts:
Temperature-related mortality is expected to rise with heat waves (IPCC, 2007). Increased flooding will damage property, displace people and affect crop yields, but it will also bring about the spread of disease and injury (Van Vuuren et al, 2010). The IPCC report highlights that such weather related events will lead to an increased burden on services due to a rise in human health issues such as diarrhoeal diseases, cardio-respiratory diseases and an altered spatial distribution of some infectious diseases.
The potential impacts of global warming are complex. NI is likely to face warmer and drier summers, contrasted with milder and wetter winters, leading to increased likelihood of periods of drought and flooding. These changes have the potential to affect all sectors of society, from health and social care to economic market activity. Potential impacts include:
The destruction of property The spread of diseases The displacement of large groups of people (from other regions of the world) An increase in heat related fatalities Logistical problems in providing aid and support.
1.5 Aim and objectives
This LCILP provides a profile of the ODC area‟s vulnerability to climate change. In the past, the district experienced a number of extreme weather events such as flooding, which led to property damage, caused distress to residents, and placed extra demands on the Council‟s services. This report examines past weather related events and how their impacts were managed.
The aims of this LCLIP are:
1. To gather information on past impacts of extreme weather events within the ODC area
2. To asses the vulnerability of ODC to these events from an operational and financial point of view
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3. To assess climate change impacts on vulnerable/deprived groups within ODC.
4. To highlight possible future impacts.
5. To provide information that will help inform future climate change adaptation measures.
The objectives to achieve these are:
1. To catalogue all significant weather events affecting ODC area over a ten year period. 2. To establish how all ODC departments were affected by the extreme weather events and to determine how they might better respond in the future. 3. To assess the impacts of these events and their associated costs, where possible. 4. To highlight these impacts in relation to future climate change scenarios. 5. To produce recommendations for action by ODC. 6. To produce a foundation for a climate change adaptation strategy.
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2. Methodology This LCLIP is based on the methodology5 designed by UKCIP which involves a two phased research approach. The first phase involved a media trawl of local newspapers in order to identify weather events which affected the area during a ten year timeframe (from January 2001 to December 2010). The second phase involved conducting interviews with the heads of Departments in ODC.
2.1 Phase 1: Media trawl
A media trawl of the two local newspapers, the Ulster Herald and the Tyrone Constitution, was undertaken to identify the weather events which received headline attention. Copies of each issue of each newspaper from the study period, January 2001 to December 2010, were accessed from archives and were manually searched for relevant information. Information gathered included: the source newspaper, the headline, date of event, weather type, for example wind, excessive rainfall etc and its impact and significance.
2.2 Interviews
To determine whether or not, and if so to what extent, the operations within various Council departments had been affected by any weather events, staff within the following eight departments were interviewed:
Arts and Tourism.
Building Control.
Corporate Services.
Development.
Environmental Health (incorporating Emergency Planning).
Finance.
Human Resources.
Technical Services.
Interviews took place with the Chief Officer or a nominated senior member of staff from each department and were conducted by the Policy Researcher from the CIEH, with the support of a Senior EHO from Omagh District Council and a Principal EHO from the Western Group Environmental Health Service.
Specific attention was paid to two weather events identified from the media search results as having had the highest impacts on the Omagh area: a flash flooding incident in 2007 and a prolonged period of frost, ice and snow in January 2010.
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3. Northern Ireland‟s Climate The NI climate is characterised by the moderating effects of the Atlantic Ocean, the indented shape of the coastline and the presence of high ground which results in localised differences in temperature, cloud and precipitation.
3.1 Temperature
The main factors influencing temperature are distance from the sea and altitude. During winter, temperatures are influenced to a large extent by the surface of the surrounding sea which reaches its lowest temperature level in late February or early March. Therefore around coastal areas, February is normally the coldest month.
The lowest temperatures generally occur away from the moderating influence of the sea. The lowest officially accepted temperature recorded in NI was -18.7oC, at Castlederg, County Tyrone on 23 December 2010.
July is normally the warmest month, with average daily maximum temperatures varying from around 17oC in upland areas and along the north coast, to almost 20oC in low lying areas to the south of Lough Neagh and in Fermanagh. The highest temperature ever recorded was 30.8oC measured at both Knockarevan in County Fermanagh on 30 June 1976 and at Shaw‟s Bridge in Belfast on 12 July 1983.
3.2 Sunshine
NI is cloudier than the rest of the UK because of the hilly nature of the terrain and its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. However, the coastal strip of County Down manages an annual average total of over 1400 hours of sunshine.
The least sunny parts are the upland areas of the north and west, with annual average totals of less than 1100 hours. Mean monthly sunshine figures reach a maximum in May and are at their lowest in December.
3.3 Rainfall
Rainfall varies widely, with the wettest places being in the Sperrin, Antrim and Mourne Mountains. Exposure to rain-bearing winds off the Atlantic results in higher average rainfalls in the more western counties of Fermanagh, Londonderry/Derry and Tyrone. In the wettest areas, rainfall totals reach 1950 mm. Average annual totals are just below 800 mm. The highest rainfall areas have average annual totals of about 1600 mm. In all areas, the wettest months are between October and January.
The combination of close proximity to active weather systems arriving from the Atlantic and the extensive areas of upland can lead to notable daily and monthly rainfalls. Periods of prolonged rainfall can lead to widespread flooding, for example, the autumn of 2000 was the wettest season for over 100 years with several flooding episodes, including a fall of 167 mm of rain at the Silent Valley, County Down over 48 hours in early November.
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3.4 Snowfall
Snowfalls rarely occur if the temperature is higher than 4oC. The number of days during which snow falls, increases with increasing latitude and altitude. Snowfall is comparatively rare near sea level in NI.
The average number of days each year when sleet or snow falls varies from around 10 days near the east coast, to over 35 days in the Sperrin, Antrim and Mourne mountains.
The average annual number of days with snow lying in Northern Ireland varies from less than 10 in coastal areas, to over 30 in the mountains. A day of lying snow is defined as the ground being more than 50% covered at 0900. The number of days of snowfall and snow cover varies enormously from year to year. During the last 50 years it has ranged from zero to in excess of 30 days during the winters of 1962/63 and 1981/82. In heavy snowfalls there can be quite extensive drifting of snow in strong winds, especially over higher ground.
3.5 Wind
NI is one of the windier parts of the UK, particularly over the highest ground and along the coasts of counties Antrim and Down.
The strongest winds are in the winter months, especially from November to January.
Gales2 occur most frequently in low altitude areas, such as along the coasts of counties Antrim and Down, with an average of around 15 days of gales each year. The number of gales decreases inland to 5 days or fewer around Lough Neagh.
Wind speed is sensitive to local topographic effects.
A prevailing south-westerly wind direction throughout the year is typical in low lying inland locations. However, in spring, north, north-east and easterly winds occur frequently.
2 If the wind reaches a mean speed of 34 knots or more over any ten consecutive minutes, then that day is classed as having a gale.
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4. Omagh Climate Profile3 4.1 Omagh
The district of Omagh covers an area of almost 113,000 hectares (440 square miles), making it the second largest district council area in NI. It has a population of some 52,500. The county town of Omagh is at the centre with the rest of the district primarily rural in character, with people living in scattered small towns and villages or in dispersed rural communities.3
Omagh town is situated at the confluence of the Camowen, Strule and Drumragh rivers, within a natural bowl-shaped valley that is enclosed to the north by the mountain of Mullaghcarn.
4.2 Temperature
Due to its inland western locality, the area can experience some of the highest temperatures in NI.
Monthly maximum temperatures during the time under study ranged from 4.1oC (January 2010) to 21.8oC (July 2006) with an average of 13.06oC.
Minimum temperatures ranged from 11.9oC (July 2006) to -2.2oC (January 2010), with an average of 5.54oC.
4.3 Rainfall
Compared to other low-lying areas in NI, Omagh tends to experience wetter conditions on an annual basis, due to its proximity to the Sperrin Mountains.
Monthly rainfall totals ranged from 29.9 mm (February 2009) to 226.3 mm (November 2009) with an average of 96.82 mm. On the 12 July 2007 the Edenfel weather station recorded a total of 94.7 mm of rain, which was the wettest day in the station‟s history, since it was established in 1872.
4.4 Wind
Monthly average wind speeds ranged from 5.01 knots (December 2009) to 10.69 knots (January 2005), with an average of 6.8 knots.
3 NIEA, 1-February-2010.Omagh Farmland Geodiversity Profile. [online] Available at:
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4.5 Sunshine
Monthly average hours of sunshine ranged from 26.2 hours (November 2007) to 229 hours (May 2008), with an average of 101.25 hours.
4.6 Snowfall
As Omagh lies in the foot-hills of the Sperrin Mountains, the area tends to see rather more days of falling and lying snow in winter, and a higher incidence of frost than other low-lying areas.
The annual number of days with snowfall ranged from 1 day in 2007 to 24 days in 2009, and from January-August 2010. The annual average number of days of snowfall is 8.
4.7 Sleet/snowfall
The average number of days each year of sleet/snowfall varies from around 10 near the east coast to over 35 in the mountains of Sperrin, Antrim and Mourne4 .
4 http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/ni/print.html
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5. UK Climate Projections „09 The following figure depicts climate projections for NI based on the findings of the UK Climate Projection ‟09.5 All projected values are relative to 2009 climate conditions and the projections illustrate what the climate may be like, long into the future.
Estimating our future climate is an imprecise science as the outcomes depend greatly on changes in greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change modelling for a medium scenario for the UK into the 2050s has indicated rising temperatures, even if emissions are cut significantly.
Fig 1. Based on the medium scenario, the following points summarise the projections for NI to 2050:
Average summer temperature 2.2oC Increase
Average winter temperature 1.7oC Increase
Average summer rainfall 13% Decrease
Average winter rainfall 9% Increase
More prolonged winter rainfall may well result in an increased incidence of flooding – (perhaps similar to that experienced in Fermanagh in Autumn 2009). While rainfall in summer is expected to decrease overall, a greater proportion may fall as intense short duration episodes increasing the risk of flash flooding in summer, (as happened in Omagh in 2007). This type of rainfall however tends to be more localised in nature and the reduction in summer rainfall overall would increase the risk of more prolonged periods of exceptionally dry weather or even periods of drought.
Ref. UKCP09, DEFRA. 50% probability level
5UK Climate Impacts Programme, 1-December-2010. LCLIP: Local Climate Impacts Profile. [online] Available at:
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6. Media Trawl The two local newspapers, the Ulster Herald and the Tyrone Constitution, were searched for stories concerning extreme weather events in the Omagh area between January 2001 and December 2010 (i.e. a total study period of 10 years). The trawl produced 58 headlines, illustrated in Fig.2 below.
Fig. 2: Pie chart illustrating the percentages of headlines, discovered during the media trawl of local newspapers, attributed to each extreme weather event occurring between January 2001 and December 2010.
A breakdown of weather events and the years in which they occurred can be seen in the table on page 12.
6.1 Strong winds
Strong winds were mentioned in a total of 16 headlines during the study period. This weather event was deemed to be headline news in eight of the ten studied years. The impacts from this weather type were reported to be damage to property, power failure, and disruption to services, all of which most commonly resulted from felled trees. The majority of these weather events and their impacts have been considered to have had a medium level of significance.
6.2 Heavy rainfall/flooding
Heavy rainfall/ flooding was mentioned in 13 headlines during the study period. This weather event was headline news in 6 years, with at least two headlines each year between 2007 and 2010. The impacts from these events were disruption to services, damage to buildings/subsidence and surface water flooding. Eleven of these 13 events were considered as having medium or high significance level.
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6.3 High temperatures
High temperatures were mentioned in 10 headlines in 5 of the studied years. The impact of these events was to encourage more outdoor activity. These events were considered as being of low significance for ODC.
6.4 Frost, ice, snow
Frost, ice, and snow were mentioned in 18 headlines during the studied period. These weather events were the most reported events, occurring in 8 of the years studied. Frost, ice and snow occurred at least once in eight consecutive years from 2003 to 2010. The impacts of these events were disruption to everyday living, particularly where power failure was involved. The majority of these events were considered to have had a medium level of significance.
6.5 Lightning
During the ten years studied, lightning damage was reported only once. This happened in 2005. The impact of this event was damage to two private homes. This event was considered to have had a low level of significance.
6.6 High impact events
Two events occurred within the period under study that were considered as having a high level of significance.
Event 1: Flash flooding, June 2007
Impact: Severe disruption of normal life.
Farm lanes were impassable or partly washed away. Businesses and homes were flooded and contaminated with mud, animal waste and sewage. Heating boilers failed. Electricity supplies were considered unsafe to use in the soggy conditions.
Event 2: Prolonged period of frost, ice and snow, January 2010.
Impacts: Disruption to normal life for a three week period.
Heavy falls of snow and repeated sub zero temperatures left many roads impassable for drivers with some people trapped in their homes. Gritting of roads was a priority but the benefit of the grit was soon swallowed up by the next fall of snow. Even those on foot suffered as footpaths went ungritted and there were many minor injuries through people slipping and falling in the treacherous conditions. Food deliveries to shops were delayed and schools stayed closed.
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6.7 Tabulated media trawl- weather findings by type of event
6.7.1 Media trawl findings: heavy rainfall/flooding Source Headline Date of Impact Significance Event Tyrone Wet..wet..wet as 21 Oct 02 Disruption to Medium Constitution Winter takes an early processes grip Tyrone Outrage at flooding 25-26 Damage to buildings High Constitution Nov 04 / subsidence Tyrone Flooding havoc 12 June 07 Disruption to High Constitution processes Ulster Herald Flash floods cause 12 June 07 Disruption to High chaos processes Tyrone Residents in fear of 12 June 07 Damage to buildings High Constitution future flood / subsidence occurrences Tyrone Flash flooding 19-26 Surface water Low Constitution continues to cause Nov 07 flooding chaos in Tyrone Tyrone Flood waters wreak 16 Aug 08 Damage to buildings High Constitution havoc across county / subsidence Ulster Herald Shields slam Rivers 16 Sept 08 Damage to buildings Medium Agency for lack of / subsidence foresight Tyrone Major clean up after 19 Aug 09 Damage to buildings High Constitution flash floods wreak / subsidence havoc Ulster Herald Newtown 22 Aug 09 Damage to buildings Medium householders demand / subsidence Compo Tyrone Residents put on a 19 Aug 09 Damage to buildings Medium Constitution heroic face in / subsidence aftermath of devastating floods Ulster Herald Homeowners and 4 Sept 10 Damage to buildings Low businesses feared / subsidence extensive flooding Tyrone Heavy rain brings 5 Nov 10 Disruption to Medium Constitution flooding to local area processes
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6.7.2 Media trawl findings: strong winds Source Headline Date of Impact Significance Event Ulster Herald Close shave as tree 21 Aug 01 Disruption to Low falls on bin lorry processes Tyrone Storm force winds 27 Jan 02 Disruption to Medium Constitution brings down trees processes and cause blackouts Ulster Herald Storm force winds 27 Jan 02 Power failure Medium disrupt 2000 power lines locally Tyrone Tyrone battered as 7 Jan 05 Disruption to Medium Constitution storm rages processes Ulster Herald Sewage overflow as 8 Jan 05 Power failure Medium storm strikes Tyrone Power blackout 14 Feb 05 Power failure Low Constitution across Tyrone as severe winds return. Tyrone Over 6,000 homes 31 Dec 06 Power failure Medium Constitution blacked out in turbulent end of year Tyrone Thousands of homes 10 Jan 07 Power failure Medium Constitution blacked out as gust of wind reach 70mph Tyrone Stormy conditions 8 Jan 08 Damage to buildings Medium Constitution cause disruption on / subsidence roads Tyrone March roaring 3 March 08 Damage to buildings Medium Constitution Wreaking havoc for / subsidence drivers and homeowners Tyrone 725 Gortin residents 6 Jan 09 Power failure Low Constitution left without power in weekend blackout and Icy spell leaves Aghyaran residents without power Tyrone Lashing rain, gales 18 Jan 09 Disruption to Medium Constitution and snow wreak processes havoc across West Tyrone Tyrone Weekend gale force 24 & 25 Power failure Medium Constitution winds wreak havoc Oct 09 across Omagh District Tyrone Gale force winds 8 July 10 Power failure Medium Constitution cause havoc for locals Tyrone Miraculous escape for 5 Sept 10 Damage to buildings Medium Constitution family as tree crashes / subsidence down on car Ulster Herald Gortin man recounts 4 Sept 10 Damage to buildings Medium close escape from / subsidence falling tree
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6.7.3 Media trawl findings: frost/ice/snow Source Headline Date of Impact Significance Event Tyrone Winter Wonderland 6 Feb 03 Disruption to Medium Constitution processes Ulster Herald Cold snap causes 4 Feb 03 Disruption to Low chaos on the roads processes Tyrone Snow comes early 20 Dec 03 Disruption to Medium Constitution for Christmas processes Tyrone Dreams of a white 25 Dec 04 Disruption to Low Constitution Christmas come true processes Tyrone Snow puts halt to 18 Jan 05 Disruption to Low Constitution school lessons for processes thousands locally Ulster Herald 5,000 children miss 17 Jan 05 Disruption to Medium school as cold snap processes bites in Tyrone Tyrone Blanket of snow 2 March 06 Disruption to Low Constitution heralds official processes arriving of snow Tyrone Winter returns with a 17 March 07 Disruption to Low Constitution vengeance processes Tyrone Spring vanishes and 3-10 April Disruption to Low Constitution replaced by blanket 08 processes of snow Tyrone Drivers turn into 4-11 Dec 08 Disruption to Medium Constitution gauntlet as icy snap processes causes mayhem on roads Ulster Herald Icy roads 'nothing to 9 Dec 08 Disruption to Medium do with a lack of grit' processes - Roads Service Ulster Herald Schools close and 20 Jan 09 Disruption to Medium roads blocked as processes stormy weather hits Tyrone Tyrone Snow and ice brings 24-26 Jan Disruption to Medium Constitution woes for motorists 09 processes and pedestrians Tyrone Its Brrritsh summer 30 March 10 Disruption to Low Constitution time with an Arctic processes Feel Ulster Herald Freak winter weather 31 March 10 Power failure Medium causes blackouts and havoc for local motorists Tyrone Plumbridge family 8 April 10 Disruption to Medium Constitution trapped by 8ft of processes snow Ulster Herald The Big Freeze 7 & 14 Dec Disruption to High 10 processes Tyrone Injury toll mounts as 24 Dec 09 – Disruption to Medium Constitution icy grip shows no 14 Jan 2010 processes mercy
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6.7.4 Media trawl findings: high temperatures Source Headline Date of Impact Significance Event Ulster Herald Mild Indian summer 24 Feb 02 Low gives way to heavy rain Tyrone Summer at last after 8 Aug 02 Low Constitution wet June and July Tyrone Marvellous May and 27 May 04 Low Constitution the Heat is on Tyrone Omagh basks in 14-20 July Low Constitution record breaking 06 temperatures Ulster Herald Tyrone makes hay 20 July 06 Low while sun shines Tyrone Hot weather likely 03 Aug 06 Changes in Low Constitution cause of fish kill biodiversity Tyrone Sunsational 2 June 09 Changes in lifestyle Low Constitution temperatures peak in Castlederg Ulster Herald Derg hottest place 1 June 09 Low this week Tyrone Stocking oats while 10-17 Sept Changes in lifestyle Low Constitution the sun shone 09
Ulster Herald Locals make hay in 24 June 10 Low the fine sunshine
6.7.5 Media trawl findings: lightning Source Headline Date of Impact Significance Event Tyrone Terrifying ordeal as 1 Jan 05 Damage to buildings Medium Constitution lightening strikes / subsidence homes
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7. Council Departmental Interviews Interviews were conducted with staff from all eight Council departments. Additionally, an interview was conducted with the Emergency Planning Coordinator within the Western Group Environmental Health Service as it provides emergency planning support to ODC.
Interviews were based on a series of questions which focused on the following areas:
1. Past weather events that had impacted on the department (either in terms of their ability to provide services or demand on resources)
2. Mechanisms currently in place to record and assess the impacts of severe weather (monitoring; risk assessments; records)
3. The extent to which planning had taken place for the future (consideration of the long term impacts; procedures or policies for severe weather events or adaptation; training; etc)
4. Questions as to how ODC might better prepare for dealing with future events
5. Assessment of the impact that past weather events had had upon individual departmental operations
6. Any future plans for stakeholder engagement on climate related events
7. An assessment of the extent to which climate related events had disproportionately affected vulnerable groups
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8. Results 8.1 Impact of past weather related events
Flooding and frost/ice/snow were identified by most departments as key weather events which had impacted on their ability to provide services. A summary of the nature of these impacts included:
ODC premises and facilities (e.g. community centres) rendered unusable Costs associated with the repairs/clean up Mobility issues for staff preventing them getting to work and the knock on effect on service provision (decreased capacity) Impact of Council policies on staffing levels (e.g. carer‟s leave policy) Increased workload due to ODC‟s coordinating role in such circumstances Increased demand from the public for services (often not the responsibility of the Council but which adds to the overall workload in terms of facilitating responses to such requests) Increased workload in acting as a communication hub (media releases; briefings for elected representatives; etc) Use of ODC facilities to provide temporary respite for affected families and/or individuals Additional services required as a direct result of severe weather
Two of the departments interviewed did not identify any impacts as a result of severe weather.
8.2 Monitoring, recording or assessing the risks associated with severe weather
8.2.1 Advance monitoring In terms of assessing the risk of severe weather, all departments cited information received from the Met Office as their primary source of information.
8.2.2 Investigative tools (to assess impacts) There are currently no investigative tools used (or data recorded/measured) that would allow the Council to quantify all of the impacts outlined in the previous section.
Some measurement is carried out with regard to carers leave taken under the Councils policy on the same and within Western Group Environmental Health Service, which provides support to ODC on emergency planning, there is a proposal to record the impact of severe weather by means of a logging system.
One of the 8 Council departments had undertaken some analysis to quantify the impacts from previous events with additional hours worked as a result of the incidents being costed. The costs of dealing with the flooding in 2007 by administrative and field workers were largely absorbed within the department‟s budget with resultant impacts on other planned activities and with overtime payments being reimbursed by central government.
8.2.3 Planning for the future Only 1 department had specifically considered the long term impacts of climate change on its operations.
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Two departments interviewed had developed departmental policies and/or procedures specifically for extreme/severe weather events. In one of these departments additional staff training had also been undertaken.
However, the Council does have an emergency management and business continuity plan. Emergency planning in the ODC area is facilitated and coordinated from within the Western Group Environmental Health Service. This includes not just ODC but also 4 other councils in the west of NI namely Derry CC, Fermanagh DC, Strabane DC and Limavady BC. The emergency management plan does provide for coordination and integration in a given emergency scenario, particularly between the Council and other public bodies and agencies.
It was recognised by the Chief Executive that there was a need for ongoing development of the emergency procedures manual in light of experience gained.
8.2.4 Suggestions as to how ODC might better prepare for dealing with future events. The general consensus from all those interviewed was that ODC was well prepared for dealing with future events.
There was a suggestion from 1 department that improvement of the communication infrastructure that would allow staff to work more effectively from home would help in future scenarios as one of the impacts of severe weather was the inability of some staff to travel to the administrative centre.
A back-up IT system that was shared with other councils was also suggested as a potential improvement.
8.2.5 Assessment of the impact that past weather events had had upon departmental operations In terms of their assessments of the severity of the impacts only one department considered past extreme weather events to have had a high impact on their area of service overall. In all other cases the interviewees considered the overall impact to be low.
As outlined at 8.2.2 above, one department has undertaken some work to quantify the impacts of previous events in terms of increased/additional demands on services.
8.2.6 Any future plans for stakeholder engagement on climate related events No departments currently have any plans to discuss climate change implications with any stakeholder groups. However, in some cases departments commented that they would, “be able to identify groups with which it could discuss these matters in the future”.
8.2.7 Disadvantaged groups Interviewees were asked to identify disadvantaged groups which either had or could suffer disproportionately as a result of severe weather events.
Four of the departments interviewed did not identify any such groups.
The remaining 4 identified the following groups:
Rural dwellers. Young first time buyers of homes who may not consider flooding, snow or energy demands.
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Populations inhabiting the foothills of the Sperrin Mountains for whom mobility was a problem during frost/ice/snow events. Wards on the periphery of the district and one urban ward containing the CKS community centre, all of which had the most mobility issues during frost and snow. The elderly. Residents or home owners, who may have an inability to protect their property from flooding. The residents/owners of areas of high density housing/commercial buildings built within a hot spot or high risk area.
One department interviewed suggested that there was a need to better identify, “at risk/vulnerable groups”.
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9. Deprivation 9.1 Deprivation by Ward
A simple exercise was carried out in an attempt to match flood damage (and subsequent payments) with deprivation in the wards of the ODC area. Data on deprivation was provided by NISRA* and was matched with the payments made to householders who sustained flood damage in 2007 and is illustrated in the table below. Of 94 payments made, 61 fell in the ten most deprived wards and 33 fell in the 11 least deprived wards. This finding merits further investigation but would suggest that there is a link between deprivation and susceptibility/risk.
Omagh DC- Ward/Deprivation/Payments table Ref. Nisra 2010 (x)= number of payments made in ward
Fairy Water Drumragh (27) Trillick Clanabogan (1) Gortin Newtownsaville Killyclogher (4) 33 payments in 11 Beragh least deprived wards Dergmoney (1) Owenkillew Sixmilecross Drumnakilly (2) Camowen (11) 61 payments in 10 most Dromore deprived wards Termon Coolnagard (25) Strule (9) Drumquin Gortrush (8) Fintona Lisanelly (6)
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 higher deprivation lower deprivation
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10. Other Financial Costs
The financial cost to the NI Executive of dealing with the flooding in 2007 was estimated at approximately £95,000.
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11. Discussion and Recommendations 11.1 Discussion
The interviews carried out with departments suggest that the senior management in ODC believe that the Council is in a reasonable position to cope with future extreme weather events. They also predominantly perceive such events to be of low impact overall.
However this is almost entirely a subjective assessment/perception, since, with one exception, no department was able to really quantify the impact that extreme weather has had on their operations.
The climate projections highlighted in this report, however suggests future extreme events will increase in both magnitude and frequency, thus placing a likely additional strain on resources in ODC.
11.1.1 Departmental Reviews Each department‟s approach to extreme weather events is shaped by the past experiences of their staff. This review has highlighted the need for a more systematic analysis looking at the effects extreme weather on departmental operations. Case studies based on past events should be developed and the possible impacts each weather event may have upon each department in the future should be anticipated/predicted based upon the analysis provided in this report (see page 12). In doing this there should be an assessment of how each department monitors these effects and this information should be used to review, adapt and plan for future events. Staff training would be an essential element of this process.
A problem affecting all departments during extreme weather events is the inability to travel to and from work. Often travel is not possible, so in order to minimise disruption to operations, a new system which allows remote working from home should be considered and developed. This may also facilitate staff in taking carer‟s leave, without compromising ODC services and allow the carer‟s leave policy to be reviewed.
11.1.2 Data recording There are wide variations and little consistency in records kept with no department currently keeping complete records on how these events directly impacted upon their services. This makes it difficult to review activities and develop robust adaptation strategies. In many cases, planning and responding to weather related events is dependant on the past experience of a senior member of staff. These arrangements are often informal with no procedures or policies in place, so when that staff member retires or leaves the employ of the Council, their experience and knowledge are lost.
There is a need to develop a standard monitoring database system. Better record keeping is essential to improve understanding of how weather events impact upon operations. Only when the full extent of impacts are recorded and assessed can a plan for adaptation be drawn up and standard policies and procedures put in place. Key data might include:
extra staff hours worked to deal with events.
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costings that can be attributed specifically to these events (including accounting codes which enable these costs to be drawn out when required).
areas affected
numbers of people affected
11.1.3 Partnerships Partnerships, in the context of emergency and resilience planning between the Council and other local authorities/agencies have been historically informal. However, this is changing. It is now recognised that in order to achieve the best outcomes, the Council needs to formalise all such partnerships. Formal cross-sectoral partnership relationships will allow for protocols to be drawn up, and to make clear each agency‟s roles and responsibilities during extreme events. These relationships should also facilitate information sharing which will be to the benefit of each involved party, and ultimately the public.
11.1.4 Vulnerable groups The interviews show that not all departments perceived there to be identifiable vulnerable groups, for example, the elderly, those living alone, those with limited resources, and those with mental or physical health problems, who might or would be adversely affected by extreme weather events. This situation needs to be addressed as clearly there are such groups and it is essential that future adaptation plans consider this.
The simple exercise carried out to match flood inconvenience payments to disadvantaged wards has revealed a much higher proportion of payments being made in the top 50% of disadvantaged wards when compared to the remaining less disadvantaged wards. A much more detailed statistically valid analysis of the situation should be carried out to determine the exact relationship between flood damage and disadvantage.
11.2 Recommendations and next steps towards adaptation
ODC is one of Northern Irelands leading local authorities in terms of its efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of its own activities and services and in turn reduce its emissions. It is clear that ODC is playing its part in efforts to mitigate future climate impacts6.
However, this LCLIP work has focused specifically on the nature, frequency and occurrence of previous climate impacts and through doing so seeks to provide baseline information on how well ODC is prepared for future weather events.
6 At the time of publishing this report, ODC have been ranked 5th place from the 17 local authorities which participated in the 13th Arena N.I. Environmental Benchmarking Survey which is run on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency by Business in the Community‟s ARENA Network.
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Inertia within the climate system means that the effects of past green house gas emissions will continue to be experienced for a considerable period of time regardless of any future steps taken to reduce emissions. Adaptation is therefore crucial, involving responding to slow gradual changes and sudden changes such as extreme weather events. Evidence shows that the major climate change events faced by the Council in recent years are flooding and ice and snow.
This LCLIP has shown that ODC needs to further build upon its adaptation planning. To date the organisation has coped admirably on an adhoc basis, however, it is clear that often additional strains (both human and financial) are placed on departments. It is also clear that in some cases staff do not perceive extreme weather related events as being of real, significant impact on either their department or ODC as a whole. This may be in part due to the lack of any current systematic assessment of such impacts using relevant data, but on the other hand it may simply be a perception. Regardless of the reasons this presents challenges for the organisation in terms of both awareness as well as the priority that some staff may attach to adaptation planning.
Current climate change projections suggest that it is likely that the frequency and nature of some extreme weather events will increase. It is therefore imperative that adequate adaptation planning takes place. As already noted, work has begun on the production of emergency plans, and partnerships which were once informal are being formalised. In recognition of these activities, a series of recommendations/next steps have been identified:
Use the findings from this LCLIP to review each department‟s response to extreme weather events, where possible develop case studies from past events and assess possible future impact
As well as extreme weather events, the impact of more gradual climate change on each Council department should be considered further
Develop protocols for responding to extreme weather events for each department identifying common approaches where possible
Consider training of back up staff who would be available for emergencies
Consider the provision of facilities to allow for home working by key staff, coupled with a review of carer‟s leave arrangements
Establish a monitoring database system to record the impact of weather events; to be used across all departments. The database should be able to capture all activities and their associated costs when dealing with a weather related event. Examples of categories for possible inclusion are creation of an events log, recording of manpower costs (including overtime payments), equipment costs (including hire costs), loss or damage to vehicles, buildings, staff injury, insurance claims and consequent premium increases
Develop further formal partnerships with external agencies, with clear protocols and responsibilities during extreme weather events
Identify all the vulnerable groups and areas potentially at risk during extreme weather events
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Conduct follow up meetings with all those involved in the interview process to begin work on an adaptation process
Use LCLIP findings to make the case for current and future adaptation, to create the capacity for the development of an adaptation strategy or climate change action plan looking at future risks and opportunities.
CIEH Northern Ireland Omagh District Council
123 York Street Belfast BT15 1AB The Grange, Mountjoy Road, Omagh, BT79 7BL
Telephone 028 9024 3883 Tel. 028 82245321/82256202
Email : [email protected] Email: [email protected] www.cieh-nireland.org www.omagh.gov.uk
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