Causes of Sheffield Flood - Research Paper Example

Ar Sheffield Flood 7/7 Contents Contents 2 Introduction 3 Causes of Flood 4 Role of Agencies in the Rehabilitation Process 6 Effectiveness of the Environmental Agencies and Recommendations 8 Conclusion 8 Bibliography 9 Introduction Throughout the history of the world it is seen that many natural disasters have occurred which has had many devastating effects. At times these natural disasters have been such that they have completely eradicated cities and at times they are of such a low intensity that they are only felt for a day. The disasters can either be natural or manmade. A recent event which completely took United Kingdom with surprise was in 2007 when some of the rivers overflowed. Sheffield was one of the cities which was affected by the floods in 2007. Sheffield is a city located in South Yorkshire in the United Kingdom. The city is mostly built on the hillsides and five of the rivers flow together near the city. Flooding grasped many parts of the city in the year of 2007 when River Don over flowed. The flood had devastating effects on the city which completely paralyzed the normal routine activities of the city. The businesses of the city were also affected because of which they could not operate. Many of the residents suffered from health hazards and electricity problems. Following the flood many of the organizations took part in the rehabilitation of the city. Deaths were also reported after the flood occurred but immediate services from the environmental agencies helped the city to revive its earlier grace. Environmental agencies played a great role in the rehabilitation of the city. But the effects of the flood are still felt in the city. Moreover efforts by these agencies have helped the city to a great extent to carry out the normal activities. This report would further revolve around the flood that occurred in Sheffield in the summer of 2007 and would provide with different details about the disaster (Smith 207; Environment Agency 2010) Causes of Flood The floods which were caused in United Kingdom were basically because of different reported rainfalls in the country. Summers in United Kingdom always witnessed heavy rainfalls but in the summer 2007 these rainfalls were record breaking. Two significant causes for the 2007 flood have been highlighted. Flash flooding is considered one of the basic causes which disturbed the normal level of water in rivers. Flash flooding occurs when heavy rainfall occurs in a very short time such that it raises the level of water in rivers but after some time the level gets normal again. It occurs when the ground does not have enough capability to hold water and urban landscapes usually do not have enough space to hold water. It was June 15th that heavy rainfall started in England which filled the rivers with water above than the average. The condition was even worsened after heavy rains on June 25th. Hull and East Riding were particularly first affected by the flash floods but after that the water moved on towards the River Aire which flooded Leeds. Although the flood was felt minimally in Leeds the water moved on towards River Don which is close to Sheffield. River Don over flowed and burst its bank to flood the city of Sheffield after which River Rother flooded because of excessive water. The flood became so alarming that it submerged many of the bungalows in Sheffield and moved further ahead to the tributaries of River Don. The rainfalls in the summer 2007 were reported up till 387.6 mm in UK. Heavy rainfall also caused the rate of evaporation to be slow in the summer of 2007 because of which water stayed in the rivers. Sheffield has less number of flood defenses because of which water entered the territory of the city. Defenses of the Granville Square helped it to escape flood but because of a lack of the defenses many other areas were flooded (U.K Summer 2007 Floods). Impact of Flood on Sheffield The flood paralyzed the routine activities of the city. Insurance losses were estimated to be around 1.25- 1.75 billion pounds. Immediate risks were also caused to lives of many individuals living in Sheffield. A 13 year old boy was killed by the harsh water from the flood along with a 68 year old man who was also washed away (Family tribute to flood death boy 2007) The hospitals were also affected by the flood as many of the emergency services became unavailable because of high emergency calls. Transportation problems were felt all over the city when many doctors and nurses could not reach the hospital to provide the necessary services. The evacuation squad also faced difficulties because of the harsh weather and paralyzed transportation systems. (Two die in Sheffield flood chaos 2007). Many of the residents in Sheffield were trapped in their houses after the waters rose and it is estimated that around 1200 houses were affected by the flood (Floods: The Worst affected places 2007). Many individuals were deprived of their possessions when water entered the premises of their homes and as there was a lack of knowledge about preventative measures, these individuals could not do anything. Many of the cattle were also reported to be washed away by the flood water. Electricity was disrupted in the city and because of that people could not access the basic necessities of television and internet. Electricity problems were faced by many of the consumers till three days until complete restoration took place. Businesses were affected the most by the floods as they could not contact their customers or suppliers. The phone lines were also disrupted because of which the individuals could not even contact their close family members. As the water entered the city several health hazards also arose because of which many people had to face health issues. (The National Archives 2007) The shopping centers were closed in response to the water which entered the territory. The insurance company had to suffer great losses because many of the residents claimed for insurance compensations immediately after the rehabilitation of the city. The after effects of the flood included mud, silt and sewage which increased the pollution in the city. It was seen that the river water contaminated the city and because of this many individuals had to face health issues. Diarrhea and sore throat was a common health problem faced by many individuals. Even after the city recovered from the effects of flood it was seen that many businesses were still affected by the shock of the flood. Businesses faced many difficulties when trying to recover from their destructive phase. Insurance claims were difficult to make as paperwork was lost during the flood. The tourism sector was also affected by the flood as people avoided coming to Sheffield because of the disturbed condition in the city. Farmers also faced difficulties when it came to feeding their cattle. This was because the feed of the cattle was mostly destroyed by the water from the flood. Contamination also had serious effects on animal in Sheffield as it was seen that many of the animals lost their ability to produce proper milk. Heavy machineries being used by individuals were also destroyed by the water of the flood. Uninsured individuals were left with no option but to succumb to the conditions. Not even this, the insured individuals also faced difficulties as the insurance companies faced a great demand of claims. It is believed that the flood still has left some effects on the individuals living in Sheffield (The National Archives 2007). Role of Agencies in the Rehabilitation Process Realizing the devastating nature of the flood many of the agencies in UK started their rehabilitation processes. South Yorkshire Flood Disaster Relief Fund is one of the agencies which are still helping the affected individuals from the 2007 flood in Sheffield. (Floods: The worst affected places 2007). Immediately after the flood affected the city evacuation teams were seen all over the city which were dispatched by the agencies involved. The South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service also took a stance and was dealing with emergency calls in the city. The hospitals also took steps to make sure that people were getting all the necessary facilities at that time. After the flood the local government also took measures to help businesses and companies which were devastated by the flood. They set up different programs which could help the businesses and companies to revive their normal business activities. The Environment Agency in Sheffield also took a stand and carried out different activities to help the affected residents of Sheffield. Different warnings were issued by the Environmental Agency for the individuals who were affected so that they could carry out the preventative measures. They used information on the weather and informed the residents about the flood every now and then. They started issuing updates about the flood on the television and on their website. Hailers and alarms were also used by the Environmental agency to warn the individuals about the hazards of the flood and how an individual could be safe from it. Direct warnings to individuals through cell phones and text messaging was also being supported by the Environmental Agency which helped the individuals to know more about the flood. After the flood caused many hazards in the city the agencies started carrying out different activities which would reduce the hazards of the flood. Sheaf Screen is one of the examples which was regularly monitored by the Environmental Agency and manned to clear out all the debris in the area. The obstructions in the transportation system were looked upon by the agency and cleared by them. Specific amount of money has been allocated by the agency to carry out processes to undo the harm done by the flood to the city (Environmental Agency 2010). Effectiveness of the Environmental Agencies and Recommendations Immediately after the flood entered the city it was seen that the environmental agencies took a stand and carried out many rehabilitation activities. Although they did a lot of work to prevent the hazardous effects of the flood but still it was seen that the original condition of Sheffield was not yet revived. The agencies learnt great lessons from the flood which can help them to minimize the effects of any disaster which may happen in the future. The flood defenses of the city were weak because the danger of floods in Sheffield was quite less. The flood of 2007 alarmed the agency to strengthen the flood defenses so that in future such a situation could be avoided. The warning systems could be enhanced so that preparations are made in advance to any such event. The agencies could enhance their communication set up so that even in flood they can communicate easily with the general public. The governments can take decisions of building more dams so that heavy rainfall can be accommodated in the rivers. Moreover the agencies can look into other methods which would help the city authorities to avoid any such mishap. The agencies can alarm the citizens about such a situation and tell them as to what should they do in such situations. Presently it was seen that the general public lacked awareness about the disasters and how to handle them. The agencies can take benefit from the lessons learnt and can inform the residents about any such event (Smith 2007; Environment Agency 2010; Pitt 2007). Conclusion The 2007 Sheffield Flood gave the agencies a great lesson to learn from so that they could avoid any such situation in the future. The residents of Sheffield also got to learn more about flood and about the preventative measures. Environmental Agencies are now taking different actions to enhance their defense practices. The rehabilitation processes are still underway and many of the businesses have recovered from the great shock of the flood. Sheffield has improved since the day the flood came and it is expected that it will further improve with the help of the rehabilitation processes. Some experts have also cited rainfall to be caused by global warming in the world. These experts point out that somehow global warming in the world should be decreased or these floods would increase all over the world. The drainage systems of developed cities should be further improved upon so that such a devastating incident can be avoided ever again (Smith 2007; Pitt 2007). Bibliography Floods: The worst affected places. BBC News 2007. Accessed on July 07 2010. Two die in Sheffield flood chaos. BBC News. 2007. < http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/south_yorkshire/6239000.stm> U.K Summer 2007 Floods < http://www.rms.com/publications/uk_summer_2007_floods.pdf> Sheffield. Environment Agency 2010.http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/library/publications/40547.aspx Family tribute to flood death boy. BBC News 2007.< http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/south_yorkshire/6240662.stm> RAF helicopters in major flood rescue effort. The National Archives 2007.http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/tna/+/http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/MilitaryOperations/RafHelicoptersInMajorFloodRescueEffort.htm Top of Form SMITH, M. (2007). The great flood: how Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, Doncaster, Chesterfield and Worksop survived the summer storms of 2007. Altrincham, At Heart Publications. Top of Form PITT, M. (2007). Learning lessons from the 2007 floods: interim report : an independent review. London, Pitt Review. Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Read More