Flood Forecasting Centre will warn of danger

Residents who are in imminent danger from incoming floods will have more warning now that the government has opened the Flood Forecasting Centre, after allotting £10 million to its creation.

The Flood Forecasting Centre is the result of a recommendation made by Sir Michael Pitt following the deaths of 13 people in June and July of 2007.

44,600 homes were affected by the floods during this time period.

According to Pitt, the people who were severely affected by flooding were not given accurate warnings since the government had two separate offices (The Met Office and Environment Agency) each with information that could have prevented floods if it had been analysed side by side.

With the creation of the Flood Forecasting Centre rain forecasts and current water levels can be compared side by side, so that the government is able to issue alerts to local municipalities before devastating flooding occurs.

The aim is to prepare water companies, emergency services, and local government with information, so that if flood waters rise, such as those seen in Sheffield and Hull, there is more time to proactively prepare residents and prevent causalities and widespread devastation.

Due to Pitt’s influence the flood and water management bill will also become law today to clearly define the order of responsible parties when a flood occurs.

This will prevent widespread confusion that dampers the efforts of local, district, and government agencies to help those in need.

While there is no money for local flood improvements across Britain, the Flood Forecasting Centre will operate every hour of the year and is fully funded from four key government and meteorology agencies across the UK, with funds reaching approximately ten million.

Despite the funding efforts, John Hirst of the Met Office clarified that due to climate changes more needs to be done to prevent flooding.

However, this is not the focal point of the Flood Forecasting Centre, as its focus is to predict potential flood threats.