Steer clear of flood water this Hogmanay and New Year

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) joins emergency responder partners in urging Scots and visitors to Scotland to steer clear of flood water this New Year as the country clears up from a significant flooding event.

Across Friday (30th December), Scotland’s environment protection agency had 10 Regional flood alerts, 29 local flood warnings and a severe flood warning in place for Dumfries. Impacts across the country were significant, with levels at the River Nith being the highest ever recorded, and higher than Storm Frank in 2015 and flooding in December 1982.

Whilst an improving situation, people living, working and travelling through Southern and Central Scotland in particular are encouraged to remain vigilant, steer clear of flood water and follow the latest information from SEPA, transport authorities and Police Scotland.

Marc Becker, Flood Duty Manager at the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), said: “Across Friday we saw Scotland hit with yet another significant flood event, with Southern and Central Scotland heavily impacted this time in particular.

“This comes after recent flooding impacts in the East and North-East of Scotland in November. What made Friday’s event notable was not only the intense nature of the rainfall, but also the rapid and extreme rises in river levels which led, in the Nith, to the highest ever recorded river levels.

“Whilst across Hogmanay and New Year’s Day we’re seeing an improving picture, we’ll see rain, sleet and snow on higher grounds, particularly across the Bells. With residual impacts on the ground, particularly in Southern and Central Scotland, we’re encouraging people living, working and travelling to remain vigilant, steer clear of flood water and follow the latest information from SEPA, transport authorities and Police Scotland.

“Across 2022 we’ve seen Scotland on the front line of climate change – a year of firsts with significantly severe weather events. We’ve seen record river levels across Scotland during severe and significant flood events whilst, in the summer, we saw the East of Scotland record is tenth driest summer for one-hundred years, ground water levels at their lowest recorded and the agency suspending abstraction licenses to protect local water environments.

“Against this backdrop, we’re urging Scots to add one more New Year’s resolution by signing-up for SEPA’s free Floodline message service by calling 0345 988 1188 or by clicking floodlinescotland.org.uk”

The agency also thanked the Met Office, Scottish Government, Scotland’s resilience partners and responders for their planning and response to more frequent extreme weather events across the year.

Staying informed

• Check the latest information on SEPA’s regional Flood Alerts and local Flood Warnings at sepa.org.uk/floodupdates.
• Check the latest advice on what to do to prepare for flooding at floodlinescotland.org.uk
• Register for SEPA’s free Floodline message service by calling 0345 988 1188 or by clicking floodlinescotland.org.uk

Be prepared and stay safe

• Check Floodline – visit floodline.sepa.org.uk
• Don’t walk through flood water – 15cm of fast flowing water could be enough to knock you off your feet and hazards can be hidden under the water.
• Drive with care, and do not travel through deep fast flowing water. It only takes 30cm of fast flowing water to move an average family sized car.
• If you’re walking beside rivers be extra careful of wet footpaths and small watercourses.
• Consider deploying flooding protection products if required.

What’s the difference between a Flood Alert and a Flood Warning?

We use forecast weather information provided by the Met Office combined with our own observation of rainfall and river levels and advanced hydrological modelling to provide advance warning of flooding.

• Regional Flood Alerts are early advice that flooding is possible across a wider geographical area. The purpose of the Alerts is to make people aware of the risk of flooding and be prepared. We normally issue them 12 to 24 hours in advance of the possibility of flooding.
• Flood Warnings are more locally specific and are issued for areas where we have gauges on rivers to measure the exact river height. They are issued at shorter notice when we are more certain that a specific area will be affected.

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