Are Storms Becoming More Frequent?

February 18, 2020

Just three months ago our surface water team were on floodwatch and now they’re at it again, but does this mean that storms are becoming more frequent?

Recent articles in the popular express elude to this, but our chairperson and water management specialist James Dodds had this to say, “It is easy to say that storms have become more frequent in recent memory, because we all have short memories. The flooding that we are experiencing at the moment has more to do with a long wet winter and nowhere for the rainfall to go.”


You’ve only got to take a quick glimpse at the hydrograph below to see how unusual the rainfall pattern has been through 2018, 2019 and the beginning of 2020. Look how dry it was up until June 2019 and how wet it has been since then.


So, what’s the message?

Water management should be top of the agenda and flood management is a critical part of water management, people are being devastated by flooding throughout the country. Dare we say it…we need to be PROACTIVE.


We know what you’re thinking, how can we possibly be proactive when only last week it was reported by the BBC that only ‘1% of government infrastructure spending in England goes towards flood defences’ and that a third is spent in London and the South East.


Here at Envireau our expert team don’t believe in managing water on political or other social geographic boundaries, we need to work on a catchment basis. After all water doesn’t follow political lines it has its own catchment which is the fundamental basic starting point of any water management.


On a catchment basis we need to look holistically at water management, applying sustainable drainage systems in urban and rural areas to manage runoff along with storage of large volumes of water to reduce flood peaks and provide a resource for dry periods. Flood risk assessments and mapping need to be used as a tool rather than a barrier to identify where we need to put these measures in place or leave the river well alone.


Whether it be, Storm Ciara, Dennis or even James (that’s a storm we wouldn’t like to see) they are an inevitable outcome of variable weather!


Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to those people affected by this winter’s floods and our thanks to all the staff from the UK agencies that are working day and night to help whether by forecasting and warning, or erecting barriers.


Envireau Water has extensive experience in flood risk assessment & mapping, flood resilience design; as well as SUDs and storage optimisation. Get in touch on 01332 871 882 or email our technical lead LeeClarke@envireauwater.co.uk .


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