City gets a storm warning
Experts have warned that stormy weather poses the biggest threat to Leicester's roads and buildings at a major conference on climate change.
Damage caused by high winds, snow and flooding have cost the city more than £2.2 million in repairs in the past eight years.
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Damage near to the Walkers Stadium after high winds of 2007
Matthew Owen, a council project officer, has been investigating how vulnerable the area has been to extreme weather, how it was dealt with and what costs were involved.
Mr Owen said: "I think our biggest risk could be a storm or high winds.
"Flooding is being looked into by all councils, but I want to raise more awareness about storms for Leicester.
"It is all about generating community resilience.
"Leicester is not like Gloucestershire in the sense that when it last flooded, the water drained out into the flood plains around the city, and although these were fuller than usual, they were not catastrophic."
For his report, Mr Owen searched the Leicester Mercury's archives from January 2000 to July 2008, for articles on weather events.
In recent times, the paper has reported major damage caused by the weather, including when the roof blew off a hotel near the Walkers Stadium in 2007.
Of the 102 stories Mr Owen looked at, 52 per cent were about storms or high winds.
During that period, storms and high winds triggered 12 emergency responses in the city, various school closures and costs of £52,400.
Uprooted trees caused 2,100 emergency responses and a cost of £875,000.
Flooding caused damage to roads and buildings at a cost of £895,000, and meant 3,000 emergency responses.
He also identified that heatwaves in the last eight years, in Leicester, caused an increased mortality rate and health problems.
Snow and ice caused cracks in roads, which led to 270 pothole claims against the council, at a cost of £369,000.
Mr Owen used this information to draw up a "risk register" of the three biggest threats to the city in terms of climate change.
The risks were heavy rains, high winds and substance damage (for example, the damage caused by shifting tree roots).
The findings were put forward at the Adaption 2009 climate change conference, at the Ramada Jarvis hotel, in Granby Street, Leicester, yesterday.
Delegates from across the country listened to presentations and workshops which outlined what needs to be done locally to stop the effects of climate change.
Councillor Ross Wilmott, leader of the city council, said there were some convincing arguments given to the scale of the problem of climate change.
"The questions about whether climate change is an issue have gone," he said.
David Strahan, an expert in how the decrease of available oil in the world affects councils, also spoke yesterday.
He said: "Councils must focus on private and public transport.
"Biofuels are inadequate – a better idea would be to charge fleet vehicles via wind turbines – or look at electric vehicles."
Mr Strahan said his organisation had an updated version of the Nottingham Declaration, which asks councils to address climate change. Coun Wilmott will be asked to sign up to it.
7 Comments
by Sam, Groby
Friday, February 06 2009, 11:43AM
“Mr Owen's comments make it clear that his sources included, but were not limited to, Leicester Mercury archives. More importantly, I think the chaos caused nationally by the recent snowfall, and the likelihood of subsequent flooding over the next few weeks, would seem to support Mr Owen's findings.”
by Mr Owen, Leicester
Monday, February 02 2009, 12:59PM
“I agree that basing a report on news articles would be ¿school boyish¿! The Mercury¿s archives were used to raise awareness within the council of the project and to set the tone for an extensive consultation process within each council department, evidence was then collected from the council records. Meteorological data was also used with in the study to determine a rough threshold level for the impacts. So although this study may not stand up to the highest scientific standards it was the most rigorous possible in real life.
In response to Paul¿s concerns let me assure you that the Leicester City Council have a wide number of risk assessments and plans for all these extreme weather events. The ¿storm warning¿ was merely a reminder of these issues as since 2007 flooding has been top of the agenda. The city council has numerous plans already in action which have meant that the impact of storms over only the last 8 years has been seen to half.”
by Zee, Desford
Friday, January 30 2009, 2:50PM
“Mr Woolnough, my fellow Desfordian, Mr Owen relied on Leicester Mercury articles about weather events. That makes his report carry little value in my book. Surely he ought to have based his article on meteriological office data and drew on expert opinion. The Mercury could not possibley have reported all weather events since 2000.
Zee”
by Ian Woolnough, Desford
Friday, January 30 2009, 1:57PM
“Mr Matusiewicz, you misread the story. "For his report, Mr Owen searched the Leicester Mercury's archives from January 2000 to July 2008, for articles on weather events". So he based his reports on weather reports over an 8 year period.”
by andy, leicester
Friday, January 30 2009, 1:28PM
“With regard to the roof of the Holiday Inn hotel near the Football stadium, as it has been nearly two years since that event, when are the pieces of debris going to be removed? There is still a pile of it next to the hotel, even though (eventually) they did get around to replacing the damaged roof.”
by Paul, Hamilton
Friday, January 30 2009, 11:42AM
“Are you telling me that the council do not already have plans for extreme weather! This country has always had gales, snow, flooding and heat waves!! Does the council not have plans for any of this!!
To stops flooding the council could stop people concretating over drive ways or the countryside!!
Also the comment "a better idea would be to charge fleet vehicles via wind turbines ¿ or look at electric vehicles" How many wind turbines are going to be required to re-charge all of the council vechicles on a daily basis.
More practical steps would be to put solar panals on all new buildings and all council buildings- rather than digging up the countryside putting wind turbines up! Especially if they get to windy they can not be used!
Other countries get hot weather, floods and snow- why do they always seem to be able to cope better than us in the UK!!”
by Zdzislaw Matusiewicz, Desford
Friday, January 30 2009, 11:42AM
“So, Mr Owen based his report on Leicester Mercury archives from 2000? How scientific is that? A schoolchild could have done that. How can his report be taken seriously?”