Do you know if you are risk from flooding and if so what type of flood waters will affect you?

There are several different types of flooding that occur, each one poses its own set of risks and complications. Here is a brief outline of the different types and where they might occur.

Pluvial flooding can be regarded as flooding that occurs as a result of overland flow of rainfall before it enters a water course or drainage system. Pluvial flooding normally occurs as a result of very intense rainfall (e.g. more than 30mm/1 inch per hour). It can occur with lower rainfall intensities because the ground is saturated, high ground water level, frozen ground, or urban development where the topography causes the water to collect/pond. In Urban areas Pluvial flooding can be caused by the drainage and sewage systems being completely overwhelmed.

Fluvial flooding occurs as a result of a water course (river/stream) rising above its normal channel and spreading on the surround area (floodplain).

Surge conditions are caused by astronomic tide plus storm water and low atmospheric conditions combining to raise water levels, which will be accompanied with large waves that can help drive water in land.

Failure of a reservoir can lead to a catastrophically dangerous body and flow of water downstream from the Dam or reservoir.

Sudden snow melt can lead to a large and quick rise in water levels leading to pooling of melt water and quick rises in water courses.

Water course and Drainage Blockage can lead to a build up a backlog of water that can come back up through the drains and cause localised flooding, in areas that do not normally collect flood waters.

The Environment Agency's website has useful information on types of flooding, and don't forget to look up your postcode on their floodmap to see the threat posed to your home or business.

Worcester flood defences finished

Flood defences have been completed for a road in Worcestershire (UK) badly affected in the summer 2007 floods.
The Environment Agency began work in July 2008 to protect 13 homes and six businesses in Hylton Road, Worcester.
It used 14,000 tonnes of clay from Upton Marina to create defensive flood banks and walls.
It said it had some landscaping work outstanding, but if the river were to rise again the new bank would offer immediate flood protection.

What's the risk to your home or business?

Do you know how high the risk of flooding is to your home or business?

To find out if your property is at risk of flooding consult the Environment Agency's free flood map. Simply follow this link and put your postcode in the box on the right hand side of the page. This will bring up a map of the area marking any locations at risk of flooding.

If you are at risk it is recommended you register for flood warnings with the Environment Agency here and follow the link to sign up for Floodline Warnings Direct. Floodline Warnings Direct is a free service that provides flood warnings direct to you by telephone, mobile, email, SMS text message and fax.

Update on Flood Protection in Wales

The Flood Risk Management Wales committed met recently to discuss the growing flood-related challenges Wales faces due to climate change. Wales must be prepared to face more frequent flooding in future because of the likelihood of more extreme weather events due to the impact of climate change and rising sea levels.

Financial reports presented at the meeting showed that funding for flood risk management work in Wales continues to increase. The total Grant in Aid budget from the Welsh Assembly Government which the Committee administers through Environment Agency Wales now stands at over £34 million for 2009/2010.

This money is spent on a range of services and new technologies including major flood defense schemes to reduce the risk of flooding to communities across Wales. During the meeting the Committee heard that a number of initial projects put forward by Environment Agency Wales for European funding had been approved. These are the Conwy Valley, Tregaron and Valley schemes.

Members were also briefed on the setting up of the new joint Environment Agency and Met Office Flood Forecasting Centre to serve Wales and England. The centre has been created to forecast riving and coastal flooding as well as extreme rainfall which may lead to flooding from surface water. This will help provide earlier warnings of floods to local authorities and the emergency services, to give them more time to prepare for floods and reduce the risk of loss of life and damage to property.

Geraint Davies, Chair of Flood Risk Management Wales, said: "We can't eliminate risk so alongside growing investment renewed efforts are being made to ensure people know the risks they face and the action they should take in preparation for future flooding."

Read the full article from the Environment Agency here.