With a mixture of heavy rain and warmer temperatures forecast for much of the country this weekend Zurich is urging local authorities worst affected by heavy snow to be prepared to act upon their flood plans.
It is anticipated that we will see a change in temperature for many parts of the UK as warmer Atlantic air reaches us, bringing wet and windy weather with it. This may cause additional problems of localised flooding as ice and snow thaws and heavy rain falls onto saturated ground that’s still frozen.
Factors such as the density of the snow, how compacted it has become and the level and speed of rainfall will vary across the regions. However as high volumes of snow and ice melt and turn back to water, Zurich is re-issuing its complete flood advice to all customers to help them and their communities should the worst happen.
Head of local government at Zurich Municipal, Andrew Jepp commented: “In most cases there is not much time between a flood warning and the start of a flood. However, depending on snow and ice build-up and the speed of a thaw there is the risk that rivers and local infrastructure could be affected by excess levels of surface water caused by intense rain and melting snow. Salt and grit shortages have compounded the issue for councils too, leaving higher volumes present for the eventual thaw.”
Furthermore, burst pipes, both underground and in council properties, which have gone undetected during the freeze could pose a threat as the extent of the problem is often only recognised when a thaw triggers a flow of water accumulated in the pipe.
Mr Jepp concluded: “Simple steps, such as reminding yourselves of the location of stopcocks, so water can be quickly turned off in an emergency and checking external gutters and soffits where water can gather, reduces the risk of blockages and subsequent overflowing of water into the building.”
Zurich is also recommending that councils review and update their business continuity plans as appropriate and prepare to implement any major incident response procedures, liaising with key delivery partners and the emergency services to minimise community impact.
Why not review our dedicated microsite for coping with severe weather? As well as information about planning for and dealing with flooding, there is valuable guidance on driving in winter conditions.
Zurich’s Guide to Severe Weather is free to be used by your organisation and members of your communities as a valuable and timely resource and it can also be followed on twitter.
More information visit www.zurich.co.uk/severeweather/home/home.htm
