1 Introduction
1. From December 2013 to February 2014,
the United Kingdom experienced a prolonged period of heavy rain
and strong winds. The Met Office reported winter 2013/14 to be
the wettest winter in England and Wales since at least 1766.[2]
The severe weather, in combination with high spring tides, led
to widespread flooding from the sea, rivers, groundwater and surface
water.
2. During winter, the Environment Agency
issued 155 severe flood warnings and over 7,000 properties were
flooded. Over the same period, more than 1.3 million homes and
businesses were successfully protected by existing flood defences.[3]
The varying nature of severe weather and flood events does not
allow for direct comparison, but these figures suggest improvement
upon previous flood events, such as those of summer 2007 when
over 55,000 homes and businesses were flooded and an estimated
100,000 properties protected.[4]
3. Nevertheless, last winter showed
that there are lessons still to learn about: the capability of
the country's flood defences; the suitability of the Government's
flood risk management priorities; and whether sufficient funding
is available in the face of increasingly frequent weather events
of this nature.
4. Our short inquiry was triggered by
the winter flood events and designed, with a narrow focus on maintenance
responsibilities and maintenance funding, to further explore and
pursue recommendations in our recent Report on Managing Flood
Risk.[5]
5. The written submissions and transcripts
of three oral evidence sessions are published on our website.[6]
We are grateful to all who provided evidence.
2 Met Office, The recent storms and floods in the UK,
February 2014, p5 Back
3
Environment Agency (XFL 0025) para 1.1 Back
4
Environment Agency, Review of 2007 summer floods, December
2007, p4 and p17 Back
5
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, Third Report of
Session 2013-14, Managing Flood Risk, Vol 1, HC 330 Back
6
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee website: Winter Floods inquiry Back
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