By Josh Halliday
Storm Dennis is believed to have caused the worst winter floods in recent times, in part because the rain was so widespread but also because it has fallen on ground already saturated from Storm Ciara the previous week. Storm Dennis affected huge swaths of Britain, from the Scottish Highlands to the Cornish coast and large parts of Wales and Northern Ireland. It triggered a record-breaking number of Environment Agency flood warnings and alerts in England on Sunday.
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The Environment Agency says its flood defences – both permanent and temporary measures – are working. It says that as many as 20,000 propertieshave been protected from storms Ciara and Dennis due to these measures. However, Britain has experienced an exceptionally wet winter and many rural areas, including towns and villages, have been left vulnerable to the higher river levels and saturated ground. Also, physical flood structures are only one part of the armoury.
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Flood barriers are a small but important part of the protection from devastating storms. Experts say that while Britain can never be fully flood-proof, much more could be done to better protect those in vulnerable areas. One way is to have a robust planning policy that keeps new housing developments out of flood plains. Another is natural flood management, such as planting trees, building “leaky dams” and water storage facilities. These all help slow the flow of water downstream and would take the edge off severe storms , said Prof Hannah Cloke, of the University of Reading. Prof Robert Wilby, of Loughborough University, said natural flood management would help mitigate small floods but would be overwhelmed by the likes of Ciara and Dennis.
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The government says it invests in areas of the highest priority. Critics say this often means protecting urban areas or properties of high commercial value, at the expense of rural communities, farms and villages. One problem is the fluctuating amount of money set aside for flood prevention each year, which means agencies cannot plan too far ahead or invest in radical changes to the landscape. In early 2019, the Environment Agency said at least £1bn a year was needed to tackle flooding and coastal erosion – more than the £600m-£800m a year that has been spent since 2010.
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