3.1.1.3 Weather Hazards - Extreme Weather Events in the UK: Somerset Levels 2014 Flood Case Study

Question 1

What and where are Somerset Levels?

Answer 1

• the Somerset Levels are an area of low-lying coastal plain and wetlands located in the south-west of the UK in the county of Somerset
• bordered by the Bristol Channel and Quantock Hills to the west and the Mendip Hills to the north

Question 2

What rivers are Somerset Levels drained by?

Answer 2

the area is drained by several rivers, most notably the Tone and the Parrett which flow to the Severn Estuary via Bridgewater

Question 3

What makes Somerset Levels prone to flooding?

Answer 3

• low-lying nature of the area makes it prone to flooding
• settlements and agricultural land on the levels have experienced flooding events for centuries

Question 4

When did the Somerset Levels experience severe flooding and what did this cause?

Answer 4

• in Winter 2013 - 2014 the Somerset Levels experienced very severe and extensive flooding
• December 2013 - February 2014 several major flooding incidents occurred on the Somerset Levels affecting 1,000s of people and causing widespread damage

Question 5

What do extreme weather events in the UK have impacts on?

Answer 5

extreme weather events in the UK have impacts on human activity

Question 6

How was rain a cause of the Somerset Levels floods in 2014?

Answer 6

• a series of depressions (low pressure areas causing heavy rain) off the Atlantic Ocean hit the south-west UK, bringing weeks of wet weather
• January 2014 was the wettest on record, and approx. 350mm of rain fell in January and February (100mm above average)
• this caused rivers to overflow and burst their banks onto floodplains

Question 7

How was high tides a cause of the Somerset Levels floods in 2014?

Answer 7

• seawater levels were higher due to high tides and storms urges brought by the Atlantic depressions
• the high tides prevented freshwater from being able to drain into the Sea which made river levels rise further

Question 8

How was dredging a cause of the Somerset Levels floods in 2014?

Answer 8

• rivers were full of sediment as they has not been dredged in over 20 years
• this meant less water could be held in the river channel as they overflowed quicker

Question 9

How many homes were flooded by the 2014 Somerset Levels floods?

Answer 9

over 600 homes flooded

Question 10

What happened to residents in Somerset Levels as a result of the 2014 floods? (social effects)

Answer 10

residents were evacuated into temporary accommodation for months in some cases

Question 11

How many farms had to be evacuated from Somerset Levels as a result of the 2014 floods (social effects)?

Answer 11

16 farms had to be evacuated

Question 12

What happened to power supplies in Somerset Levels as a result of the 2014 floods (social effects)?

Answer 12

many people had power supplies were cut off in areas

Question 13

What happened to people’s livelihoods in Somerset Levels as a result of the 2014 floods (social effects)?

Answer 13

people’s livelihoods and lifestyles were severely disrupted by the floods e.g. shopping, going to work, going to school

Question 14

What happened to some villages in Somerset Levels as a result of the 2014 floods (social effects)?

Answer 14

some villages such a Moorland and Muchelney were completely cut off and left people stranded

Question 15

What was the cost of the damage which was caused by the 2014 Somerset Levels floods (economic effects)?

Answer 15

cost of damage estimated to be over £10 million according to Somerset County Council

Question 16

How much agricultural land was flooded and long was it underwater for as a result of 2014 Somerset Levels floods (economic effects)?

Answer 16

over 14,000 ha pf agricultural land was underwater for 3-4 weeks

Question 17

How much livestock had to be evacuated as a result of 2014 Somerset Levels floods (economic effects)?

Answer 17

1,000+ livestock had to be evacuated

Question 18

How was transport infrastructure by the 2014 Somerset Levels floods (economic effects)?

Answer 18

Bristol to Taunton railway line was closed at Bridgewater after flooding

Question 19

What happened to water in Somerset Levels as a result of the 2014 floods?

Answer 19

• sewage, chemicals like pesticides and oil contaminated the floodwater which spread to other areas
• stagnant water was left deoxygenated after standing for months - the water had to be re-oxygenated before being pumped back into rivers

Question 20

How did the Somerset Levels floods in 2014 affect ecosystems?

Answer 20

flooding destroyed ecosystems and limited food supplies for animals

Question 21

What was launched in January 2015 as a result of the 2014 Somerset Levels floods and why?

Answer 21

• the Somerset Rivers Authority (SRA) was launched in January 2015 to implement the flood protection and resilience strategies identified in Somerset’s £100 million Flood Action Plan
• the SRA works with other bodies including the Environment Agency to tackle the flooding issues

Question 22

How many km of of the Rivers Tone and Parrett was dredged in 2014 and what was the cost of this (long-term response of 2014 Somerset Levels floods)?

Answer 22

• March 2014 8km of the Rivers Tone and Parrett were dredged at a cost of £6 million to increase capacity of the river
• the rivers are now dredged annually

Question 23

How were road levels changed as a long-term response to the 2014 Somerset Levels floods?

Answer 23

• Road levels (e.g. at Muchelney) have been raised to maintain communications and enable businesses to continue during future flood events
• a new control structure at Beer Wall protects the A372 from flooding

Question 24

What schemes have been constructed as a long-term response to the 2014 Somerset Levels floods?

Answer 24

new food alleviation schemes have been constructed at Westonzoyland and Aller

Question 25

How have diesel pumping stations been changed as a long-term response to the 2014 Somerset Levels floods?

Answer 25

old diesel pumping stations have been replaced with more effective electric pumps

Question 26

What does the Environmental Agency plant to construct, by when, why, how many homes and businesses will this protect and what is the estimated cost of this construction (long-term response of 2014 Somerset Levels floods)?

Answer 26

• the Environment Agency plant to construct a tidal barrier at Bridgewater by 2024 to reduce the threat of tidal flooding
• the barrier is estimated to cost £65 - 80 million
• it will protect 11,500 homes and 1,500 local businesses