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1 March 2010
Flood warning scheme goes live
Country: Scotland
A new £1 million scheme to protect vulnerable communities from the threat of flooding was being switched on early in light of the bad weather currently affecting Scotland.
Full-scale live testing of SEPA's North East Flood Warning System was set to begin last Friday - four days before its official launch by Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead.
The system uses state-of-the-art technology to measure rainfall and river levels and issue early flood warnings. Around 2000 homes and businesses around the rivers Dee, Don, Deveron and North Esk will benefit from the Scottish Government-funded scheme.
Mr Lochhead said:
"Although there is currently no risk of severe flooding, it is important to be fully prepared in case things take a turn for the worse. This scheme was due to go live next week but in light of the heavy rain and snow affecting Scotland I have asked SEPA to begin live testing immediately.
"Should the risk of flooding increase in the north east, members of the public will now have more precious time to prepare and protect themselves and their properties.
"Flooding wreaks havoc and distress whenever it strikes and we must do everything we can to protect ourselves from its devastating impact. This ground-breaking scheme is another example of the Scottish Government and SEPA working together to protect at-risk communities."
Richard Brown, SEPA's Head of Hydrology, said:
"The aim of the flood warning schemes is to prevent loss of life and reduce the economic damage caused by floods. This is achieved through the ability to forecast likely flood conditions and provide interpretation and warnings to those at risk.
"When flooding is forecast in these rivers, local authorities will be directly alerted by SEPA and flood warning messages placed on the Floodline system."
Rainfall and river level monitoring across the catchment areas will provide SEPA with improved information on conditions, which will then be used to provide advance warning of flooding to members of the public who can access the information via SEPA's 24 hour Floodline information service. This will allow local people crucial extra time to take action to protect themselves and their property.
The early warning system will be used to alert the police and local authorities to any potential flood threat so they can respond if necessary.
The areas that will benefit from the new scheme include several urban centres such as Aberdeen, Inverurie and Huntly, rural settlements, large areas of agricultural land and significant transport links.
Mr Lochhead will officially unveil the new scheme at a SEPA river monitoring station in Huntly, Aberdeenshire on Tuesday March 2 at 1030 hours.
SEPA currently operates over 40 flood warning schemes across Scotland. Once a warning is issued, SEPA alerts local authorities and emergency services, giving them advance warning to take action.
1 March 2010
Flood warning scheme goes live
Country: Scotland
A new £1 million scheme to protect vulnerable communities from the threat of flooding was being switched on early in light of the bad weather currently affecting Scotland.
Full-scale live testing of SEPA's North East Flood Warning System was set to begin last Friday - four days before its official launch by Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead.
The system uses state-of-the-art technology to measure rainfall and river levels and issue early flood warnings. Around 2000 homes and businesses around the rivers Dee, Don, Deveron and North Esk will benefit from the Scottish Government-funded scheme.
Mr Lochhead said:
"Although there is currently no risk of severe flooding, it is important to be fully prepared in case things take a turn for the worse. This scheme was due to go live next week but in light of the heavy rain and snow affecting Scotland I have asked SEPA to begin live testing immediately.
"Should the risk of flooding increase in the north east, members of the public will now have more precious time to prepare and protect themselves and their properties.
"Flooding wreaks havoc and distress whenever it strikes and we must do everything we can to protect ourselves from its devastating impact. This ground-breaking scheme is another example of the Scottish Government and SEPA working together to protect at-risk communities."
Richard Brown, SEPA's Head of Hydrology, said:
"The aim of the flood warning schemes is to prevent loss of life and reduce the economic damage caused by floods. This is achieved through the ability to forecast likely flood conditions and provide interpretation and warnings to those at risk.
"When flooding is forecast in these rivers, local authorities will be directly alerted by SEPA and flood warning messages placed on the Floodline system."
Rainfall and river level monitoring across the catchment areas will provide SEPA with improved information on conditions, which will then be used to provide advance warning of flooding to members of the public who can access the information via SEPA's 24 hour Floodline information service. This will allow local people crucial extra time to take action to protect themselves and their property.
The early warning system will be used to alert the police and local authorities to any potential flood threat so they can respond if necessary.
The areas that will benefit from the new scheme include several urban centres such as Aberdeen, Inverurie and Huntly, rural settlements, large areas of agricultural land and significant transport links.
Mr Lochhead will officially unveil the new scheme at a SEPA river monitoring station in Huntly, Aberdeenshire on Tuesday March 2 at 1030 hours.
SEPA currently operates over 40 flood warning schemes across Scotland. Once a warning is issued, SEPA alerts local authorities and emergency services, giving them advance warning to take action.
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