GH: Cumbria Flooding

Question 1

What were the physical causes of the flood?

Answer 1

• December 2015, Storm Desmond hit - 341.4 mm of rain falling over a 24 hr period
• Abnormally high rainfall with little evaporation
• Surface run off
• Relief rainfall - warm air from the mid-Atlantic forced upwards by mountain, air cooled & condensed to form heavy rain, which poured into rivers: warmer air = more moisture

Question 2

What were the human causes of the flood?

Answer 2

• Extreme weather event possible because of climate change - made flooding event 40% more likely
• Poor management of reservoir - high water levels in reservoir which acts like a catchment for water, makes flood more likely
• Minimal interception of foliage - urbanisation, less trees
• No places for the water to drain - houses & tarmac means less infiltration

Question 3

What were the social impacts of the flood?

Answer 3

• Over 43,000 homes across Cumbria and Lancashire suffered from power cuts
• Approx. 5200 homes were affected by flooding
• One person died in Cumbria
• 40 schools closed in Cumbria

Question 4

What were the economic impacts of the flood?

Answer 4

• Rail and road services were disrupted
• Many businesses suffered through damage to property and stock
• Estimated cost was £500m across Cumbria
• Government provided £50m for flood victims and businesses
• Insurance companies predicted to pay out up to £325m to residents and businesses

Question 5

What were the environmental impacts of the flood?

Answer 5

• Flooding of habitats
• Crops drowned

Question 6

What were the long term responses to Cumbria flooding?

Answer 6

• Strengthening defences
• Upstream management
• Maintenance
• Resilience

Question 7

How did strengthening defences help Cumbria with the flood?

Answer 7

• Replacing old bridges with single span bridges - will enable more water to flow underneath reducing blockages and flooding upstream

Question 8

How did upstream management help Cumbria with the flood?

Answer 8

• Working with farmers, landowners and communities, e.g. United Utilities and The Rivers Trust to help identify how to manage to landscape to slow the flow of water and reduce peak river levels
• Land-management techniques such as soil aeration, bunds, leaky dams, woodland creation, and river restoration to absorb water and slow the flow in locations across Cumbria in places such as Whit Beck
• Restoring at least 350 hectares of high priority peatland to absorb water upstream of communities
• Creating natural flood storage areas upstream of Gamblesby & Cumrew to attenuate an incoming flood peak to a flow level that can be accepted by the downstream channel
• Agri-environmental schemes to help support flood management, upstream engineered water storage

Question 9

How did maintenance help Cumbria with the flood?

Answer 9

• Repaired maintained flood defences, river, bridges, roads and other infrastructure to remain in good working order and can hold as much flood water as possible
• Repaired over 150 damaged flood and coastal defences and pumping stations - damaged highways and bridges repaired and reopened
• Removed over 70,000 tonnes of gravel and debris from local rivers and streams - making it easier for communities to find out what maintenance are being planned to do and support local communities to carry out their own maintenance work

Question 10

How did resilience help Cumbria with the flood?

Answer 10

• Establish a network for community flood action groups to share learning and ideas, and local flood action groups are recruiting more flood volunteers
• Working with children and young people that were affected
• Multi-agency flood plans are ready for the winter, provided support and grants to make homes and businesses more prepared and resilient
• Warning is essential: provided more flood warnings to over 6500 properties across Cumbria as well as using new methods to warn communities in areas where river levels rise quickly
• Local authorities are updating local spatial plans so that inappropriate development can be avoided