Using data and technology to improve government Flood Response Plans

Using data and technology to improve government Flood Response Plans

In News by Ambiental Environmental Assessment


Using data and technology to improve government Flood Response Plans

Using data and technology to improve government Flood Response Plans

Government Flood Response Plans (or FRPs) function to outline the procedures for preparing and dealing with a flood emergency. Every county council in the UK should have an FRP in place as each local authority has a legal commitment to emergency planning.

Although a standard FRP is clear on the activation criteria for implementing procedures, together with the roles and responsibilities for dealing with a flood emergency, many plans admit that “flood risk can not be eliminated entirely”.

Kent County Council also state that the procedures in their flood response plan will be activated when “intelligence received indicates flooding may occur” (see section 2.5 in the same link above). Whilst this intelligence is most likely to be provided by the Met Office, or reports on the ground, KCC also repeatedly acknowledge the unpredictability of the impact of a flood event.

This is the key area where Ambiental’s Flowroute-i data can help to inform planning by local authorities. Used in conjunction with intelligence reports, Ambiental’s Flowroute-i data can be used to assess the likely impact of flooding down to individual building level. Flowroute-i is designed specifically to simulate river and floodplain dynamics in complex urban and rural areas. Flowroute-i can also be used to simulate intense rainfall-driven ‘pluvial’ or surface water flood events.

Whilst it may be true that “flood risk can not be eliminated entirely”, Flowroute-i provides a highly accurate and validated dataset which can be used to inform the allocation of resources on the outset of a flood event, whilst also identifying property and infrastructure at highest risk and in real time.

Local and central government organisations have come under increasing scrutiny with regards to the effectiveness of their FRPs, following major flood events across the country at the start of 2014. Ambiental’s Flowroute-i technology provides a powerful dataset that governmental organisations can employ to improve their emergency planning.


Steven Brown Ambiental Associate

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