Flood Update - January 2016

‘Storm Frank’ was a reminder that living close to a river can have its downside - the stronger than expected southerly wind and swell of 2’ or more meant that we were quite close to an incident. A reminder of two years ago, when we had a ‘near miss’ early in the New Year, followed by the storm that led to incidents on both sides of the Exe estuary, including Topsham.

This re-emphasises the need to be prepared. The Topsham Emergency Group has produced tide tables for 2016. These will be distributed to residents in the flood zone during the first week of January 2016, by your friendly local flood warden. Residents should raise any points regarding flood protection with their flood warden.

Flood Wardens are reminded of the meeting in the Globe on Sunday 3rd January, 6-7 pm.

EA Flood Warning Service

Please note that the Environment Agency have refined their flood warning service. The EA area local to us is now known as South Devon Coast at Topsham and Cockwood. According to the EA, future flood warnings will be based on improved flood forecasting techniques as well as adjusting the water level, wind and wave conditions that will trigger warnings. Quick dial number to access warnings is 162204.

The Topsham Emergency Group continue to monitor local weather and tidal conditions from a variety of sources, including the EA, and will keep residents informed via this website should flood conditions threaten.

High tides expected this week, from Monday 26 October

From Monday 26th to Thursday 29th October 2015 we will have Spring tides predicted to be between 4.4 and 4.5 metres. Our current best estimate is that with a 0.2m surge expected this evening (Monday) and winds gusting up to 35 mph from South to SSE, the river will overlap low lying areas at high water.

Residents without their own property protection who are concerned about possible flooding, please be aware that Exeter City Council will have sandbags available at Topsham Quay and at the entrance to Topsham Rec near the Dorothy Holman Centre.

We will post any flood prediction updates to this website later in the week.

Topsham Flood Exercise Wednesday 23rd September - Report

Residents along the river frontage in the Exe estuary town of Topsham were full of praise for the flooding exercise that took place on Wednesday evening, 23rd September. The exercise was aimed at raising awareness of the risk of flooding in the town – which suffered from floods in the storms of February 2014 – which allowed residents to test their own property defences.

The exercise also tested the readiness of Topsham’s recently recruited Flood Wardens, 10 of whom were deployed across 5 sectors covering the town’s 1.5 mile river frontage, from the recreation ground through to Riversmeet. Whilst out and about, the Flood Wardens undertook an audit of flood defences, which showed that half of the 150 properties in the flood zone now have their own flood defences, although many of the unprotected ‘properties’ were either garages or those at a raised level. Of those with flood defences, nearly three quarters put them out that evening, raising many issues. Ferry Rd resident Bob Guppy found the practice putting up his flood boards – only purchased 3 months ago – very useful. He said “I found fitting the defences was more difficult than I first thought – however I was able to work it out and I’m now confident in doing it in a real emergency”. Bob was not the only one to experience problems, Roger Morton from GRK Flood Defences was on stand-by to lend assistance to those properties with their flood boards, he helped our more than half a dozen people during the course of the evening.

At the end of the exercise the Environment Agency and Fire Service combined to demonstrate how to build a water-resistant sandbag wall, and the Fire Service to the opportunity to check with residents not only about their flood defences but also requested them to check smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.

Richard Horne, Topsham Emergency Group Coordinator and organiser of the exercise said “We hear a lot about of communities pulling together in difficult times – well this was an example of a community working together in ‘slow time’ in a non-emergency situation. We learnt an awful lot, both for individual residents and for those coordinating the exercise. We are now more familiar with our role in relation to the emergency services and the community is better prepared should we experience flooding again.”

More pictures can be seen in the gallery section of this website. A video is available on You Tube, featuring interviews with a number of flood wardens and residents. Please click the link

High tides in Topsham from this weekend

Some of the highest tides of the year are due from late evening from Monday 28th through to Wednesday 30th September (4.6m). However, as of midday Thursday 24th, it is predicted that we will experience high pressure during this period which will tend to keep
the high tides below the predicted levels, so the risk of flooding in Topsham will be LOW. It is also predicted that the wind will be generally from the East.

Thanks to everyone who participated in Exercise Flood Board on the evening of Wednesday 23rd September. A full report will appear on this website in due course.

Exercise Flood Board - Wednesday 23rd September 2015

Background

The evening of Wednesday 23^rd September will see the residents along the river frontage in Topsham taking part in a community resilience exercise to test preparedness for winter storms and potential flooding. As Autumn approaches the events of February 2014, which saw over 40 properties in Topsham flooded, are still in people’s minds, the exercise is intended to give a degree of re-assurance.

The purpose of the exercise is two fold:

-          To exercise the newly appointed flood wardens in Topsham, giving them a scenario where they can practise deployment and communication

-          To engage with the residents in the flood zone, to encourage them to practice erecting their flood defences in a non-emergency situation, where help will be at hand.

Format

We will request residents deploy their flood boards between 18:00 and 19:00 on Wednesday 23^rd September (this date is one of low tide, ie zero real flood risk, but within a week we will be experiencing the highest tide of the year at 4.6m)

Flood Wardens will be called out from 5pm that evening, collect their equipment from the Route 2 Café – which acts as Control Hub – and be deployed along Ferry Rd / Strand by Coordinators. They will then note the following:

• Properties with flood defences in place
• Properties with flood defence capability, but no deployment
• Residents / properties that require assistance in deployment
• Properties apparently without flood defence

Wardens will phone information back to Control – testing communication links and recording – as well as noting details themselves.

Representatives from GRK – the main local agents for flood boards – will be on hand to help with deployment as required. The Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Service will also be on hand to add realism and to offer advice to residents, if required.

Coordinators will also test protocols to engage / inform partner agencies such as the Environment Agency, Police, Fire Service and local Councils.

The Environment Agency will be undertaking a demonstration of how to erect a sandbag wall on Topsham Quay from 7pm that evening.

There will be a ‘hot de-brief’ in Route 2 café after the exercise.

Timing

The exercise will take place on Wednesday 23^rd September between 5 – 8pm, with residents deploying their flood defences between 6 – 7pm.

Exercise Flood Board

We intend to run a simulation exercise on the evening of Wednesday 23^rd September to test the availability and deployment of our newly trained Flood Wardens and to allow residents to test their flood defences. The objectives of the exercise are as follows:

• Test planned deployment of Flood Wardens

• Test communication between FW’s and Coordination / Control

• Test readiness of residents to defend their own properties

• Test elements of the community emergency plan

Format

We will request residents deploy their flood boards between 18:00 and 19:00 on Wednesday 23^rd September (this date is one of low tide, ie zero real flood risk, but within a week we will be experiencing the highest tide of the year at 4.6m)

Flood Wardens will be on alert from 5pm that day, will collect their equipment from the Route 2 Café – which acts as Control Hub – and will be deployed along Ferry Rd / Strand by Coordinators, as per the protocol. They will then note the following:

• Properties with flood defences in place

• Properties with flood defence capability, but no deployment

• Residents / properties that require assistance in deployment

• Properties apparently without flood defence

Wardens will phone information back to Control – testing communication links and recording – as well as noting details themselves.

Coordinators will also test protocols to engage / inform partner agencies such as the Environment Agency, Police, Fire Service and local Councils.

There will be a ‘hot de-brief’ in Route 2 – or perhaps one of the pubs? – after the exercise. 

Personnel and roles

TEG personnel will act as Coordinators

Flood Wardens will attend their sectors as allocated

The Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service (Topsham Fire Station) have kindly agreed to be involved in the exercise, and will have personnel there in uniform

The Environment Agency will also be on hand (Observers?)

We will notify other Agencies of our intentions, they are welcome to view proceedings or participate if roles allow.

Timing

The exercise will take place on Wednesday 23^rd September between 5 – 8pm, with residents deploying their flood defences between 6 – 7pm.