Flood Effects That Occurred in July 2007 at Sheffield Report

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Abstract

This is a report that entails the flood which occurred in July 2007 at Sheffield. This is a place that is very vulnerable to floods, particularly after heavy rainfall. This particular flood is not the first one to hit the area. The floods are known to cause devastating destruction to the health of the people, their property as well as the environment. The report, therefore, entails in detail the immediate as well as the significant risks and losses caused by the flood, the factors contributing to the occurrence of floods, identification of all the agencies which were involved together with the role they played in making the recovery process a success, the evaluation of the effectiveness of the environmental management systems, recommendations, and a conclusion.

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Introduction

Environmental management entails all the efforts that are put forth to ensure that both the biotic and the non-living components of the environment are well taken care of. It is aimed at preventing harmful environmental impacts. This means that for this to be achieved there must be some measures put forth. Flood is one of the major environmental risks that need to be managed (Allen, p. 24). Some areas are prone to floods and that means that some environmental measures need to be taken. Sheffield is one of the metropolitan cities of England that has been very susceptible to floods. It is a town whose boundaries influence its climate in very significant ways. Its climate is cool, wet, and gloomy. The town has for instance experienced two spells of floods one in June 2007. This report discusses the events of these floods.

Objectives

  1. To find out the factors that contributed to the floods.
  2. To find out the significant risks the flood caused and the general impacts to people, the environment, and the property.
  3. To identify the agencies involved, their response, and roles during the events as well as the recovery phase.
  4. To evaluate the effectiveness of environmental management systems existing at that particular time.
  5. To discuss the lessons learned and recommendations or measures put in place to prevent future flooding as well as mitigate its effects on the environment in case it happens again.

Factors contributing to the floods

The year 2007 is one of the years that the United Kingdom was hit by a great flood as a natural disaster. There were very many areas that were deeply affected by the flood of that particular year. Sheffield was one of the areas that were seriously hit and affected by the calamity. There are so many causes of floods. Some of these factors are dependent on the climatic conditions of the areas, the area’s topography, the human activities, and also the soil type of the area (Allen, p. 30). The following are the factors that contributed to the floods in Sheffield.

  • Rainfall

This particular flood first and foremost occurred in June. In England, June of 2007 was recorded as the wettest month of that year hence there were a lot of downfalls. The rainfall that was recorded that year was about 140mm, which is double the amount of rainfall that is usually expected during that month in England.

  • Anticyclones

An anticyclone refers to a situation whereby a very great mass of wind circulates an area with high pressure (Allen, p. 89). This brings about some effects on the atmosphere whereby there is a cooling of dry air. During that particular time, the anticyclone broke down in form of upper troughs that moved down to the sea due to the great pressure build-up. This effect triggered very serious thunderstorms and rains which then resulted in great floods in the area.

  • Human activities

Many human activities also contribute to floods. Some of these activities usually lead to global warming which then leads to changes in the climatic pattern hence heavy rainfall. However, in this particular case, the human activities that led to the flooding of the areas include the development of the town. A great portion of the Sheffield town is occupied by buildings. Like any other metropolitan city, it is well developed with good tarmac roads and pavements for pedestrians. This form of development is good for the aesthetic value of the town. However, when there is a great downfall, the water cannot seep into the ground. As a result, floods occurred due to the collection of water.

  • Poor preventive measures

The area experienced another flood before the 2007 floods when a dam broke apart due to heavy rainfall. At that particular time, much damage was caused in the form of deaths, water-related illnesses, property destruction, and environmental damage. However, no keen measures were taken at the end of the floods. For instance, the town’s drainage system was not well constructed to prevent a flood. This earlier flood should have served as a warning sign for the town. Hence, preventive measures should have been implemented immediately after the flood so as o prevent the occurrence of a future flood.

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The significant risks the flood caused and the general impacts of the flood

Floods are known to cause very destructive impacts on the health of the people, the economy, properties, and the environment. In Sheffield, for instance, there were a lot of consequences that were experienced by the people in that town. According to a report that was filed up by insurance companies, a total loss of about £1.3–2 billion was incurred. The loss was in the form of properties that were written off. Some of these properties, both private and public, include houses, automobiles, machines, and equipment. Many people lost their houses hence were left homeless. Industries were ruined and some of the roads were destroyed and became impassable. There was also a loss of life of people. Several children died in the floods from drowning as they tried to run to higher grounds. Apart from these effects, there was also economic destruction in which many income-generating and service-generating centers such as markets, supermarkets, and banks were closed as a result of the floods. This then brought business and money circulation in the area to a standstill hence affecting the economic growth of the town negatively. The government was therefore forced to chip in and offer some help. This means that the money that was used to curb the effects of the flood would have been used to build up the economy of the town in other ways. Furthermore, many people could also not go to work. Some of the income-generating industries and most schools were closed down in the area. Another adverse effect was on the health of the people. Many people suffered from water-related diseases like cholera. On the other hand, the sick could not gain access to the medical services at the right time and thus succumbed to their illnesses.

The agencies involved, response and role during the event of the flood and the recovery process

Several agencies were involved in the flooding event. They played significant roles in their response to the calamity particularly in trying to save people and properties. Each of the agencies played a very different role in either trying to better the situation or in the process of recovery. Some of the agencies that were involved included the government, the Red Cross, the environmental agencies, and other humanitarian organizations. The government for instance offered the people who were homeless a place to live and also later helped them financially to reconstruct their lives. The Red Cross was involved in saving the lives of the people. Through airlifting and other means the organization’s staff and volunteers tried to rescue the people who were trapped in the floods. They also offered medical services to the people during the period of floods as well as after the floods. The Environmental Agency was involved in a warning and updating the people of the dangers of the floods to ensure that they are not adversely affected. In addition, it made sure that it gave the citizens regular updates on the issue through the radio, television, website, and loud hailers. Other humanitarian agencies involved in the flood include the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization which also offered their help to the people in form of medical services, finances, and material things such as clothes.

The effectiveness of environmental management systems existing at that particular time

One of the environmental management systems existing during that particular time was the weather monitoring system. The meteorological department had earlier warned the people of the floods. This was very helpful although its effectiveness in preventing damages was not very good because some deaths were still reported. There was also an environmental impact assessment that was done before the construction of the town. The fact is that it was not very effective because it did not put forth some of the preventive measures that should have been implemented in the case of floods (Samuels, p. 68). Every environmental impact assessment must predict all kinds of possible risks that can affect the area in question and also suggest the measures to be put in place to curb the effects.

Conclusion and lessons learned

In conclusion, flood is one of the natural calamities that can lead to great effects. Its causes are dependent on so many factors that in turn vary from one area to another. They may be human-oriented factors or natural factors. The damage goes beyond destruction of property to loss of life. It should be noted that any place can be susceptible to floods and their consequences. However, these damages can be significantly reduced by ensuring the disaster management measures are put in place as well as some very effective and efficient environmental management systems are installed and implemented (Murguglio, p. 125). In addition, systems for minimizing the damage of floods can be helpful. The flood in Sheffield has taught great lessons to the citizens, the government, and other responsible agencies. The citizens learned that it is very important to take seriously any warning given to them concerning an approaching climatic danger and other natural disasters. The government together with the relevant agencies learned that it is important to put measures in place to minimize the adverse effects of floods. For instance, disaster preparedness mechanisms are important for preventing future natural disasters. They also learned that it is important to implement measures needed to prevent adverse effects that result from any disaster (Samuels, p. 45).

Recommendations

Concerning the above report, there are several recommendations on the measures to be put in place to prevent future flooding as well as mitigate its effects in case it happens again. Some of these measures include:

  • Frequent environmental risk assessment and environmental auditing should be done in the area and other areas too. This is to ensure that all possible risks in the area are identified and possible control and preventive measures are put in place.
  • The public should be enlightened well on the dangers of floods. This will enable them to take seriously any warning that will be given to them in the future about approaching danger.
  • Research needs to be intensified. There should be more research done on the climatic patterns by the meteorological department in the area and other areas. This is to be able to effectively and efficiently detect any changes in climate that might lead to floods in the area.
  • More environmental management systems should be launched in the area (Murguglio, p. 122).

Works Cited

  1. Allen, Jean. Floods. Oxford: Capstone Press, 2001.
  2. Murguglio, Bernard. Environmental management systems. London: CRT Press, 1991.
  3. Samuels, Paul. Flood risk management research and practice: Proceedings of the European Conference on Flood Risk Management Research into Practice. London: CRT Press, 2008.
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IvyPanda. 2021. "Flood Effects That Occurred in July 2007 at Sheffield." December 26, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/flood-effects-that-occurred-in-july-2007-at-sheffield/.

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IvyPanda. "Flood Effects That Occurred in July 2007 at Sheffield." December 26, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/flood-effects-that-occurred-in-july-2007-at-sheffield/.

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