Hi-tech flood warnings

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Hi-tech flood warnings

• Simon Oakes
• Edexcel Principal Examiner

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Tapsell, S., Burton, R., Oakes, S. and Parker, D.
(2004) The Social Performance of Flood Warning
Communications Technologies Environment Agency
Technical Report W5C-016
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Lecture outline

• Traditional warning methods and their weaknesses
• What are hi-tech warnings and why are they
  needed?
• What are vulnerable groups?
• Environment Agency new hi-tech plans
• Who uses mobiles and the internet?
• Will hi-tech warnings work?
• How is this relevant to my course?
• Writing about flood management

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(No Transcript)
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Traditional warning methods

• Door knocking
• Flood wardens
• Mobile loudhailers
• Flood sirens
• Public address systems
• Television and radio broadcasts
• Television teletext (1980s)
• Automatic Voice Messaging (AVM) via home
  telephone lines (1990s)
• Dial-and-listen services (e.g. Floodline)

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That was then .... (1953)
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Why are new methods needed?

• ...By the 1970s, flood forecasters are producing
  timely and accurate flood forecasts and are
  giving good flood warnings.
• ...But people living in floodplains often say
  that no flood warning has actually been received
  by them.
• ...must do better.

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Extra concern vulnerable groups

• Blind or visually impaired
• Deaf or hard of hearing
• Impaired mobility
• Elderly
• Low income earners
• The homeless
• Ethnic minorities

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This is now... Hi-Tech Warnings

• Mobile SMS text messaging and broadcast
• Mobile telephone and voice mail
• E-mail
• Digital TV and digital radio broadcast
• Real time internet flood data live cameras
• Internet websites with real-time warnings
• Centrally activated in-home alert systems
  (similar to smoke alarms and triggered using
  digital radio signals)

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Environment Agency recent hi-tech development

• 2006 the Environment Agency introduces
  Floodline Warnings Direct (FWD) service
• Direct flood warning messages can now be routed
  to mobile phones by SMS text and PCs via email,
  as well as home telephones, mobile phones,
  pagers, and faxes
• People who are at risk will be able to
  self-register on the internet and choose how they
  would like to be contacted in the event of a
  flood warning being issued
• A faster computer system is also being introduced
  so that all warnings will be issued more quickly,
  no matter which options have been selected.

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Environment Agency future hi-tech warnings

• Floodline Warnings Direct marks the first step in
  a five-year plan to use new communications
  technologies and new media to get environmental
  messages across in innovative ways through
  digital TV and new generation mobile phones.
• In the future, digital television has
  considerable potential to save lives, should
  future government legislation allow warning
  messages to be displayed on-screen, irrespective
  of a viewers choice of channel.
• A Radio Data System (RDS) might be introduced,
  with receivers similar to smoke alarms placed in
  homes. These would be activated in an emergency
  situation using digitally transmitted signals.

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Will hi-tech warnings work?

• Social barriers to use
• Cost of technologies

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(No Transcript)
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Will hi-tech warnings work?

• Social barriers to use
• Cost of technologies
• Always-on or dial-up?
• Geographical availability
• Market fragmentation
• Spam

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Will Warnings Work?
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Perfect flood management?

• 100 effectiveness (no lives lost) can never be
  guaranteed using a single method...
• ...so a multi-strand approach will always be
  needed

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How is this relevant to my course?

• Flood management
• Hazardous environments
• People and the physical environment

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Countries at most risk from disasters caused by
natural hazards tend to be poor Discuss. (OCR A)

• Quality answer shows understanding of levels of
  economic development at a variety of scales

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To what extent can prediction help in reducing
hazard impact? (Edexcel B)

• Quality answer addresses to what extent by
  recognising prediction is only one aspect of a
  successful management strategy.
• Quality answer impact is not spread evenly
  through a population vulnerable groups

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Decision-making exercise

• Which technology shows the greatest potential for
  issuing and receiving flood warnings?
• After considering the pros and cons of each
  technology, you should recommend to the
  Environment Agency one technology that could be
  made a priority.
• Your answer will refer to
• Costs and effectiveness
• Usefulness for vulnerable groups
• Geographical availability
• Think about how often you check your email or
  phone. Would a flood warning sent by email be
  read in time?

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Synoptic geography

• Hi-tech flood warnings provide A-level candidates
  with an opportunity to bring together quaternary
  industry and hydrology.
• What human factors explain the rapid pace of
  development of ICT in recent years? How are
  hi-tech research developments helping us deal
  with the risks associated with the physical
  challenge of river flooding?

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The full report that this article is based on
can be read by entering social performance
into the search field and downloading the free
PDF file at http//publications.environment-age
ncy.gov.uk/epages/ eapublications.storefront