Flood Risk v Road Closure

What’s the procedure?

The Environment Agency (E.A.) study data from their own monitoring stations, for example Dog in a Doublet on the Nene and Little Bridge on Morton’s Leam. They assess the impact of recent, current and predicted weather, the impact of tides and the potential flow rates from West of the area. A statement is created and publicised for them to decide what action(s) should be taken to protect property, people and the environment.

Therefore, the declaration of Flood Risk by the E.A. may not necessarily result in a road closure and a road closure may be initiated independently of a flood warning.

Driving on a Closed Road.

Whether you like it or not, the status of a closed road can have implications. It may come as a surprise that your insurance company could void your cover. If this happens and a claim is made – you may be held responsible to pay it, another consideration is that you could be prosecuted for driving on a public road without valid insurance.

Suppose the road has flooded, the road may have been compromised, not only from above but beneath. Debris may have floated on to the road and been left behind when the water receded. A Council is responsible for making the road safe before re-opening the road. Therefore, it is quite usual that a road closure is lifted some time after the road becomes viable. Indeed, there may not have been any water on the road at all- maybe the E.A. got their prediction(s) wrong.

If you decide to ignore signage & barriers, you could encounter a situation that you and your vehicle cannot cope with. For example, the water could be deeper than your vehicle could safely handle. Under the water surface there could be a deep hole, broken or missing man-hole cover or sunken debris. The edge of the road may no longer be visible, therefore keeping with the road surface may be compromised possibly resulting in driving over sunken verges. The weight of the car could become supported by water resulting in lack of traction by the wheels – resulting in loss of control.

Why might the Police act against you?

They might simply wish to make an example of you. 

If you get stuck/marooned, you are not only endangering your own life you are engaging emergency services that might be better deployed elsewhere.

Driving through water usually creates a bow wave, this can erode banks designed to protect property. This erosion will be a cost to taxpayers.

Water could enter the air intake of an Internal Combustion engine that could result in a recovery procedure. Water and electrics tend not to mix, your vehicle could fail from an electrical fault caused by the ingress of water, an abandoned vehicle could prevent recovery or an emergency vehicle attempting to attend another incident.

What are the Issues?

I am concerned that inaccurate predictions are more likely than not to result in a road closure, on the basis that to ignore a warning that subsequently became reality would be irresponsible. If a problem fails to materialise, it is less likely that anyone would make an issue of it post event.

Some of the affected areas come under P.C.C., some are in Fenland and others include Huntingdon District Council (not necessarily in terms of flood risk, but the highways complications during planned and unplanned road works and diversions). 

The problem is that observers consider warnings and road closures with scepticism, this sometimes manifests itself by ignoring the efforts made to close the road concerned. This is very dangerous and encourages others to take similar actions.

We need a set of interactive signs that can be made to display information faster than someone driving from a depot and erecting signs, bollards permission for ‘access only’ and diversion signs at the commencement of an event, then the dismantling when restrictions or changes are agreed. This would help improve confidence in the information and reduce the time dedicated for ‘just in case’ management.

Conclusion

We need all stakeholders including Whittlesey Town Council, The Environment Agency, Cambridgeshire County Council highways department, Fenland District Council, Huntingdon District Council and Peterborough City Council to meet around a table to sort out priorities and improved working practices.