“The more people we can raise awareness of flooding with before incidents happen the better''

As part of Flood Action Week our latest #LRFPeople story features Lucy Caunce from the Environment Agency (EA).

Lucy is the Flood Incident Advisor for the EA’s Cumbria and Lancashire Area Incident Team and, as an expert in the subject, is a key member of the Lancashire Resilience Forum’s team, working as Chair of the Flooding and Severe Weather group.

It is a labour of love in many ways for Lucy who said: “I was always keen on having a job that helped the environment and after studying geography at university it was a natural progression to join the Environment Agency.

“My first role was with the flood incident management team in 2008 in Warrington and since then I have worked in Preston and have also done a few assignments with national teams, all relating to incident management.’’

Flood Action Week is the Environment Agency’s annual campaign to encourage people to prepare for flooding by taking proactive steps such as knowing their flood risk, preparing a flood plan, and signing up for flood warnings. It is a topic which is becoming increasingly important with around 6.3 million homes and businesses in England in areas at risk of flooding from rivers, the sea or surface water.

Lucy said: “Climate change is making the weather we experience more unpredictable, and the risk of flooding exists all year round.

“I think that the pattern we have seen recently will continue, with intense periods of rainfall coupled with longer periods of dry weather and drought, which will each bring their own issues and it is really important that we prepare for all the different risks we may face.

“Part of my role involves horizon scanning in terms of preparing for possible incidents but also learning from past events and how we can use our experiences to prepare better for the future.

“We have teams that go out and engage with communities to highlight the risks of flooding in their areas because it is really important people are aware of their risks so it is not a shock when they receive flood warnings indicating that flooding is expected in their area.

“Community flood action groups do a great job of preparing for flood risk, but it is a bit harder to prepare people in cities and areas with a more transient population and groups like students.

“The more people we can raise awareness of flooding with before incidents happen the better, encouraging individuals and groups to help themselves and others.’’

She added: “There are simple actions people can take to prepare for flooding such as creating a personal flood plan, keeping an eye on local weather forecasts and considering steps like turning electricity off, moving cars to higher ground and storing precious items in their homes higher up away from the floor.

“After an incident we lead or support others in holding community meetings to talk about what happened, provide advice and discuss what can be done to mitigate future impacts. Data gathered following flooding helps make the flood warnings we send more accurate in order to target those who are most at risk.

“We work closely with the Met Office and the Flood Forecasting Centre. Improvements in technology mean that the accuracy of weather forecasts have improved over the years, but we always have to remember it is not an exact science and there is always an element of unpredictability. Due to the steep sided nature of many areas of land across Lancashire, flooding can happen quickly. We are also impacted by several different sources of flooding – from rivers, the sea and surface water so we have a lot to plan for.’’

Talking about her role she said: “I love the job, especially working with partners and being on duty during incidents. It can be stressful, but it’s a challenge and you feel like you are making a difference, helping people and working as a team within the EA and the wider multi agency community.

“Membership of the Lancashire Resilience Forum, and the Cumbria forum too, really helps as there are so many friendly, knowledgeable people to work with and call upon for advice. The relationships are really strong and if there is an incident or event to plan for you just have to pick up the phone and you know there will be a friendly voice at the other end - that makes a big difference.’’