2007 Flooding in Warwickshire

2007 Flooding in Warwickshire

The flooding in June – July 2007 brought devastation to 1800-2000 properties in Warwickshire. The flooding experienced was part of a national disaster where about 175,000 properties were deluged by flood waters from the prolonged and intense 1 in 200 year rain storms. Warwickshire’s flooding was unusual compared to other parts of the Country being spread across some 75 communities where between 5 to 150 homes and businesses were flooded which reflects the relatively flat topography of the County and the web of watercourses from small to main river watercourses.

Plan produced by the Environment Agency giving a summary of the July 2007 flood event in Warwickshire (PDF - 13.8 MB)

Over the past two years a wide variety of multi-agency activities have been undertaken to help mitigate the risk and extent of future flooding in Warwickshire.

A Strategic Flood Forum was set in October 2007 and meets quarterly to co-ordinate the Environment Agency, Severn Trent Water, Warwickshire County Council, 5 District Councils, National Farmers Unit, Highways Agency and planning groups with the following terms of reference:

Ensure effective collaboration between Agencies and Departments (including fire and rescue).
Reviews progress of Agencies and Departments in respect to the 15 Urgent Recommendations of the Pitt Report, e.g. Looking at Network Vulnerability.
Looking medium - long term at the maintenance and improvement of the drainage infrastructure.
Ensure local drainage forum's meet regularly with appropriate representation and progress key projects, and support to resolve any difficulties.
Prepare and update list of key contact details between Agencies.
Reviews and proposes improvements to communication systems during and after emergencies.
Help review and influence organisational policies to ensure consistency.
Help explore appropriate funding sources.
A key objective of the forum is to help reduce potential of flooding and help increase the awareness and need for greater personal resilience of properties. The task is large and like many parts of the UK likely to be a medium to long term issue. For several communities the combination of topography, practical issues and cost benefit means that solutions to severe flooding may not be readily achieved. In such locations a history of flooding over 100-200 years can be established from historical records.

Since 2007 Major Flood Defence Projects that have been started in Warwickshire include:

£14M Kenilworth Project – completed by Severn Trent Water 2007-2009.
£20M-£30M Leamington Project – feasibility design ongoing by Severn Trent Water.
Detailed designs are near completion for multi-agency projects in Alcester (PDF - 923 KB), Wellesbourne (PDF - 111 KB) and Broom (PDF - 1.1 MB) as per the attached Environment Agency data sheets. WCC and Stratford District Council are contributing some £230,000 to the projects which will cost £1.6M.
County Highways has undertaken the cleaning of some 85,000 gullies per year.
£1M additional funding allocated by County Council Members have facilitated extra investigation studies, drainage gangs and related activities to progress a number of local schemes from £5K-£50K in communities across Warwickshire including:- Brailes, Fillongley, Wooton Wowan, King Coughton, Warwick, Bedworth, Rugby and many more localities.
Since the July 2007 floods, intense and prolong rainfall has caused flooding in Fenny Compton in September 2008 and Bedworth in December 2008. Such flooding happens with little warning and is indicative of the apparent increase in storm intensities with Climate Change.

The following websites offer a variety of advice on how to prepare for floods, actions during and after flooding.

Warwickshire County Council Emergency Planning
Floodline
Environment Agency
Severn Trent Water
Borough and District Councils
National Farmers Union
Highways Agency
British Waterways

More pictures from the 2007 Floods

To view the above documents you will need free Adobe Reader.

In Henley some 150 properties were flooded.

Some 70 properties were flooded by River Dene in Wellesbourne.

In Shipston on Stour, 69 homes and businesses flooded.

Proactive surveying during floods identifies major risk to drivers with water 5ft deep.

Over 60 roads were closed during the flooding. Repairs were blitzed and all roads open to traffic within 48 hours of the water subsiding.

Clearing up operations dovetailed with Environment Agency.

Ground level reduced to channel flood water into a field, past houses and community hall in Wooton Wawen.

As part of an additional £0.5M/year post flood spending, 2 extra drainage gangs are now working to help prevent flooding.

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2007 Flooding in Warwickshire
The flooding in June – July 2007 brought devastation to 1800-2000 properties in Warwickshire. The flooding experienced was part of a national disaster where about 175,000 properties were deluged by flood waters from the prolonged and intense 1 in 200 year rain storms. Warwickshire’s flooding was unusual compared to other parts of the Country being spread across some 75 communities where between 5 to 150 homes and businesses were flooded which reflects the relatively flat topography of the County and the web of watercourses from small to main river watercourses. Plan produced by the Environment Agency giving a summary of the July 2007 flood event in Warwickshire (PDF - 13.8 MB) Over the past two years a wide variety of multi-agency activities have been undertaken to help mitigate the risk and extent of future flooding in Warwickshire. A Strategic Flood Forum was set in October 2007 and meets quarterly to co-ordinate the Environment Agency, Severn Trent Water, Warwickshire County Council, 5 District Councils, National Farmers Unit, Highways Agency and planning groups with the following terms of reference: Ensure effective collaboration between Agencies and Departments (including fire and rescue). Reviews progress of Agencies and Departments in respect to the 15 Urgent Recommendations of the Pitt Report, e.g. Looking at Network Vulnerability. Looking medium - long term at the maintenance and improvement of the drainage infrastructure. Ensure local drainage forum's meet regularly with appropriate representation and progress key projects, and support to resolve any difficulties. Prepare and update list of key contact details between Agencies. Reviews and proposes improvements to communication systems during and after emergencies. Help review and influence organisational policies to ensure consistency. Help explore appropriate funding sources. A key objective of the forum is to help reduce potential of flooding and help increase the awareness and need for greater personal resilience of properties. The task is large and like many parts of the UK likely to be a medium to long term issue. For several communities the combination of topography, practical issues and cost benefit means that solutions to severe flooding may not be readily achieved. In such locations a history of flooding over 100-200 years can be established from historical records. Since 2007 Major Flood Defence Projects that have been started in Warwickshire include: £14M Kenilworth Project – completed by Severn Trent Water 2007-2009. £20M-£30M Leamington Project – feasibility design ongoing by Severn Trent Water. Detailed designs are near completion for multi-agency projects in Alcester (PDF - 923 KB), Wellesbourne (PDF - 111 KB) and Broom (PDF - 1.1 MB) as per the attached Environment Agency data sheets. WCC and Stratford District Council are contributing some £230,000 to the projects which will cost £1.6M. County Highways has undertaken the cleaning of some 85,000 gullies per year. £1M additional funding allocated by County Council Members have facilitated extra investigation studies, drainage gangs and related activities to progress a number of local schemes from £5K-£50K in communities across Warwickshire including:- Brailes, Fillongley, Wooton Wowan, King Coughton, Warwick, Bedworth, Rugby and many more localities. Since the July 2007 floods, intense and prolong rainfall has caused flooding in Fenny Compton in September 2008 and Bedworth in December 2008. Such flooding happens with little warning and is indicative of the apparent increase in storm intensities with Climate Change. The following websites offer a variety of advice on how to prepare for floods, actions during and after flooding. Warwickshire County Council Emergency Planning Floodline Environment Agency Severn Trent Water Borough and District Councils National Farmers Union Highways Agency British Waterways More pictures from the 2007 Floods To view the above documents you will need free Adobe Reader.		In Henley some 150 properties were flooded. Some 70 properties were flooded by River Dene in Wellesbourne. In Shipston on Stour, 69 homes and businesses flooded. Proactive surveying during floods identifies major risk to drivers with water 5ft deep. Over 60 roads were closed during the flooding. Repairs were blitzed and all roads open to traffic within 48 hours of the water subsiding. Clearing up operations dovetailed with Environment Agency. Ground level reduced to channel flood water into a field, past houses and community hall in Wooton Wawen. As part of an additional £0.5M/year post flood spending, 2 extra drainage gangs are now working to help prevent flooding.