Flooding in the United Kingdom - Case Study Example

Name : xxxxxx Tutor : xxxxxxx Title : xxxxxxx Institution : xxxxxxx @2010 Introduction Flooding refers to the overflow of water that evidently covers a piece of land. With regard to flowing, the same word can apply to the flowing in wards of any form of a tide. Flooding results from the change in the volume of water in a given water body. Such an occurrence is thus common to a river, a lake and extends to even oceans and seas. In the event of a flood, the water body pours its waters outside its boundaries. This occurs as a result of a sudden increase in the level of water that may be brought about by heavy raining or the melting of glaciers. It only becomes a significant flood if at all the overflow of water brings danger to the adjacent land common to human activity. The United Kingdom has for the last few years experienced a number of terrible floods. Majority of the floods were reported in the year 2007 in various regions across the UK. Majority of the flooding in the UK came in the summer of the year 2007. This paper examines the flooding in the United Kingdom with regard to the disasters that befell in the summer of the year 2007. Flooding in the United Kingdom Metrological studies in the United Kingdom indicate that the month of June is the wettest month of the year. This is thought to be the period of the year when the United Kingdom receives an average rainfall of about a hundred and forty millimetres. In the June of the year 2007, this is said to have been the average level of rainfall recorded. A number of regions were reported to have had rains that would have been recorded in the entire month within twenty four hours. This was thought to be the highest level of rainfall to have been recorded ever since the year 1776 (Weaver 2009). The type of flooding that the came with this heavy raining caused a lot of panic. This flooding led into the need to ascertain the susceptibility of a number of regions within the United Kingdom to effects of floods. The widespread flooding that was experienced in the summer of the year 2007 was as a result of the heavy rainfall that fell in most of England and Wales. Majority of the Britons faced the effects of the heavy rainfall between the months of May to July. Over fifty thousand households and seven thousand businesses were covered by the floods (Weaver 2009). These floods also caused a major destruction to a number of transport channels, power supply systems and schools. Most of the water that caused the flooding is said to have come from drains with a number of river channels and flood defences being overpowered by the intensity and the volume of the water (Great Britain: National Audit office 2007). This is said to have happened so suddenly that it became almost impossible to exactly predict the likelihood of the floods. Most of the river flooding was related to the overflowing of rivers; Den, Thames and Savern alongside their tributaries. The protective schemes are thought to have played a vital role in lowering the intensity of the flooding (BBC News 2007). A number of experts have indicated that the flooding would have been more terrible had the schemes not been developed. Irrespective of prior warning of the likely dangers of the heavy rains, a number of localities in close proximity to the three rivers are said to have recorded the most severe effects of the floods (Great Britain: National Audit office 2007). Such regions included areas between both Tewkesbury and Gloucester. Other worst hit regions included the upstream of Oxford, the Thames and the South Yorkshire. Antecedent Conditions that Contributed to the Summer Floods of the Year 2007 The severe flooding that occurred at this time can be attributed to a number of metrological conditions that were taking place both prior to the floods and during the floods. The level of rainfall in most parts of the United Kingdom exceeded the expected levels during the winter season that came late in the year 2006 and spread to some time in February 2007. This heavy down pour saturated most of the ground with a lot of water. The level of rains in the spring season that ensued after winter was relatively high causing the moisture level in the ground to increase further. The high saturation in the soil caused an increase in the level of surface run off. This subsequently increased the volume in a number of rivers especially rivers Berkshire and Lambourn (Great Britain: National Audit office 2007). Many other rivers rapidly increased their volumes as from the mid of the month of May onwards. The intensity of the heavy down pour in most of the month of May is thought to have set in motion the conditions that heavily contributed to the flooding that ensued in the summer period. This explains why a number of flood indicators prompted the sending of various warnings across the United Kingdom (Weaver 2009). The Nature of the Metrological Conditions Prior to the Flooding in Summer Most parts in the United Kingdom were rendered susceptible to severe flooding by the wet conditions that were experienced prior to both June and July. Heavy rainfall continued to be experienced in the two months leading to the occurrence of various flash floods. The soils had been saturated to levels that could not allow them to hold any more moisture. The intense saturation highly contributed to the occurrence of the numerous flash floods. It is thought that majority of the flash floods would not have come about had the level of saturation in the ground not been intensified by the previous wet season (Weaver 2009). The Susceptibility of the United Kingdom to Flooding The occurrence of terrible weather events in the United Kingdom has been of severe effects across the region. Such flooding catastrophes include the flooding of a number of inland rivers in the April of the year 1998 within central England alongside the storms and floods that took place in most parts of the United Kingdom in the year 2000 and 2001 (Weaver 2009). Each of the events resulted in to severe loses to properties and the disruption of the settlement patterns among societies. The area surrounding England to the East coast is generally very prone to flooding (BBC News 2007).This has been has been as a result of the rise in sea level alongside the large scale subsidence of the land. This region is known to have a history of flooding that can be traced to the events of the 31st of January and the 1st of February in the year 1953 which destroyed properties and caused a number of deaths (BBC News 2007). Though sea defences were developed following this incidence, they are now fifty years old with very minimal repairs having been done. However with the lure of having been protected by the walls, there has been an intense settlement of people in this coastal region. This implies that in the event of another catastrophe, the amount of property that is bound to be destroyed and the loss of lives is bound to be far much higher than what was in the 1953 (Weaver 2009). The Meteorological Background of the 2007 Summer Flooding In the United Kingdom The summer flooding in the year 2007 is said to have emerged from an anticyclone within the Northern region of the United Kingdom. On the initial stages of the anticyclone, a relatively dry and cool Easterly flow was maintained (Weaver 2009). As from the tenth of the same month, a high pressure development emerged that led in to the emergence of a series of thunderstorms thought to have led to most of the flooding recorded in Northern Ireland .Within the same week of the flooding in Northern Ireland, there came a slow motioned low pressure zone that covered Biscay and extended to the British Isles. With the highest peak of the rains in the mid of June, a related occluded front is said to have moved in to most parts of Northern England with the level of the rain exceeding previously recorded amounts. This led to intense flooding in most parts of the UK. On weakening, the flooding is thought to have moved in to most of Scotland leaving both Wales and England with what was termed as an unstable air mass. This was marked with heavy down pours coupled with thunderstorms and heavy clouds (Firth 2007). These are aspects that led in to an intense flooding and later hindered the drying of a number of areas that had initially been hit by the same rains. Intense flooding in most parts of England is thought to have resulted from yet another low pressure depression that covered most parts of England accompanied with heavy raining and very high water levels (Firth 2007).This flooding was evident in various localities including Wales and England, Gloucestershire, Midlands the South, East and West of Yorkshire. The South of England is said to have experienced another frontal system on the 20th of July the same year. This is the time when very many regions experienced severe flooding in the United Kingdom. A number of metrological researchers have indicated that most of the terrible flooding within the United Kingdom that occurred at this time may have been related to the occurrence of the La Nina experience within the Pacific Ocean (Firth 2007). Most of the terrible hydro meteorological events that are common to the flooding in the United Kingdom have only been accorded minimal consideration with regard to the possibility of their occurrence. This explains why most of the flooding occurs when it is not expected. The occurrence of most flooding in the UK is closely related to the susceptibility of a number of river catchment areas. Most of the flooding that was evident in most parts of the United Kingdom was as a result of the heavy rainfall and the numerous thunderstorms (Firth 2007). Most of London had been covered in water with a number of roof tops leaking. Within London, both the circle and the district lines had been covered with lots of water coupled with big delays in other major stations. The floods caused a lot of devastation with a number of schools being closed down and driving in most parts becoming almost impossible. A research methodology for the identification of flood prone regions has been conducted with most of the findings pointing to river catchment areas as regions that can not be spared in the event of floods. The research methodology is based on the features of river catchment areas as defined by the FEH analysis (Firth 2007). Response to the Effects of the Floods Owing to the intense destruction of life and property caused by the flooding, the government of the United Kingdom was compelled to adopt a number of disaster management measures. Among them was the move to increase the total expenditure on the adoption of flood defenses and the implementation of a number of risk management strategies. This saw the government increasing the figure allocated to disaster management with regard to floods by a total of 600 sterling pounds. Some times later, the Prime Minister Gordon Brown pledged to offer about forty six sterling pounds to the victims affected by the floods in form of aid. As a confirmation of the announcement made by Hilary Benn, the prime minister promised to push the various insurance firms in to compensating the causalities for the damages and loses incurred. This disaster led in to the formation of COBRA; the Cabinet Office Briefing Room (Firth 2007). This is a disaster response committee that was formed for the purpose of responding to any emerging disasters in the United Kingdom. The emergence services put in place look forward to the installation of various tankers and the provision of safe drinking water to the victims of the any other disaster that may take root. Various other committees were also formulated to examine the situation and adopt disaster prevention and management measures. One of such committees was to be headed by Sir Michael Pitt. In his capacity, he was to lead an independent review committee that would examine the response to the situation. He worked hard enough in his position and managed to publish an interim report by the end of the same year. Conclusion Flooding is a meteorological phenomenon that has very devastating effects. In the event of a flood, properties are destroyed with lots of families losing homes and people succumbing to death. With regard to the flooding in the United Kingdom, properties worthy lots of cash were destroyed in a number of cities and more so in localities bordering the three main rivers. This type of flooding was attributed to the heavy rains that came in the summer of the year 2007. This is said to have been a very terrible incident since such occurrences had only been reported in the late 1950s and majority had not expected any thing of the kind. References BBC News 2007, Flood Hit United Kingdom Braced for More Rain, Viewed on 24th Feb. 2010. Firth, (27 June 2007). "Yes this is the wettest month ever - it's official". The Star (Sheffield Newspapers Ltd.). Retrieved on 13th Nov2010. Great Britian: National Audit office 2007, Building and Maintaining River and Coastal Flood Defences in England: Environment Agency, The Stationery Office, London. Weaver, M, 2009, Hundreds Evacuated as Floods Hit Scotland and Wales, Viewed on 24th Feb. 2010 Read More