Emergency Plan - Fylde Borough Council

Tidal – Severe Flood Warning
1. Triggers
Emergency Plan February 2007
A tidal, surge or strong wind forecast from the Storm Tide Forecasting Service that threshold levels
will be exceeded and flood defences are likely to be overtopped resulting in a major flooding
incident.
Output from tidal forecasting models run by the Environment Agency, tide detection gauges and
observations.
A breach in the tidal defences or failure of a tidal surge barrier and where the impact is likely to be
high.
A Severe Flood Warning may be issued directly (i.e. without the issue of a Flood Watch or Flood
Warning) if warranted by a forecast or observations.
The aim is to issue a Severe Flood Warning to the public at least 2 hours prior to property flooding,
but it is recognised that this is not practicable in all cases.
Consultation will take place with outside organisations (emergency services, local authorities etc) to
ensure trigger levels are set at appropriate levels.
2. Location
For specific Flood Warning Areas or groups of Areas ie named lengths of coast from Point A to B
3. Updates
A Severe Flood Warning Update may be issued at any time when new and relevant information
becomes available.
4.
Downgrades
Severe Flood Warnings will be targeted for specific tides detailing time of high water and location.
When the tide or tides have passed dependant on local conditions, there may be an automatic
downgrade to Flood Watch.
The Flood Watch will be downgraded to All Clear only when forecasts for subsequent tides are
below the relevant thresholds i.e. there is no longer a possibility of flooding.
5. Dissemination
To relevant outside organisations (including local authorities, emergency services, utility companies,
coastguards etc), the media (local radio stations, television text services, Met Offices Weather
Centres, BBC/Independent Weather Productions (IWP) Weather Centres, travel bulletins etc) and
Floodline
To all public recipients via the Floodline Warnings Direct (FWD) which replaces AVM – and includes
warnings via e-mail, SMS, DAB and Digital TV, flood wardens, sirens, loudhailers etc as
appropriate.
Appendix 5
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Uncontrolled if Printed
Rev.0