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Effects of Flooding

                         Inland Flooding, Severe Gales and Snow Blizzards

  Inland flooding is a grave threat to East Anglia with its many tidal rivers and Broads. Many inland villages and towns are close to, at, or even below sea level. Continuing offshore aggregate dredging for sand and gravel from the seabed has steepened and stripped our beaches, depleted our natural sea defences, undermined our dunes and caused the loss of soft sand cliffs.  Global warming is bringing about thermally induced marine expansion, heavier and longer lasting winter rainfall and more frequent and severe gales all coupled with melting glaciers and polar icecaps. These combined happenings all lead to a far higher probability of a flood hazard situation. The tectonic sinkage of southeast England adds to the vulnerability.

 

      Villages and isolated communities will be cut off because of flooded access roads, with the consequent loss of food, medical supplies, drinking water, milk and other essential provisions. A need for evacuation of residents to safe ground or alternative accommodation may arise, or the transport of sick people to hospital. The same is true when wind driven snow closes routes. Working under the auspices of the County Emergency Planning Officer with the county services, the police, the St. John Ambulance Brigade, the Red Cross, etc. RAYNET in can provide relief communications to houses and drivers cut off from the outside world. RAYNET mobile stations can also report to the County Highways authority the access status of flooded roads and routes.  

 

   One of the first losses in such situations would be the loss of communications such as local radio, the mobile telephone network, electricity supply failure, antenna damage, etc. Many Norfolk RAYNET members possess versatile independent wide ranging contact capabilities to and between such vulnerable sites, whilst some members are equipped with four-wheel drive vehicles and boats on stand-by to cover these hazards. Other members provide invaluable relay facilities operating from their home stations.

 

  East Anglia has suffered a series of severe storms over the past ten years when strong gales have brought down trees blocking roads and damaging housing and property. Electricity and telephone lines have been cut off causing communities to lose their communications and power for over a week. Mobile and hand held transceivers independent of mains power run by RAYNET members working in conjunction with the emergency services have proved to be invaluable in such circumstances. (They too could lose battery storage power in prolonged events, so some have generators and/or the means of battery recharge from their vehicles) In times of heavy snowfall many villages have been cut off from supplies, another circumstance where RAYNET can and has assisted.

 

  Then we are faced with the direct and indirect climatic impacts that could result from other ‘natural’ events such as volcanic eruptions, the ‘El Nino’ effect and meteor strikes. These could produce both ultra-low temperatures and severe heat waves. Add to these major earthquakes and mutating pathogens and we are able to see a formidable list of possible ‘natural’ potential catastrophes that could evolve. Then there is the possibility of terrorist attacks.  All of these might require the provision of our assistance.

 

  Communications exercises have been conducted between the County Emergency Planning Officer, District Emergency Planning Officers and County Services, outlying police stations, ambulance headquarters, emergency reception centres, hospitals, etc. with RAYNET mobile or portable stations located at most potential low lying flood or snow prone areas so as to establish and identify optimum routes and bands for conveying information.  It has given service in past severe weather emergencies and is ready and equipped for the future.

 

                       

 

 

                        

 

 

 

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Pat Gowen G3IOR