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Local Climate Impacts Profile (LCLIP) for the Omagh District Council area
June 2012
ii
Acknowledgements This report on the first local climate impact profile (LCLIP) in Northern Ireland was
undertaken by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health in Northern Ireland (CIEH
NI) in partnership with Omagh District Council.
Authors: Colin Eskins, Gary McFarlane (CIEH), Dr Ian Leitch, Raymond Smyth (Omagh DC)
Other Contributors: Dr Joanna Wydenbach (CIEH), Jane O‟Neill (Omagh DC)
and interviewees from 8 Departments as detailed below.
It is hoped that this report will assist Omagh District Council in developing a robust climate
change adaptation strategy and may assist other local authorities in Northern Ireland to do
likewise.
Arts & Tourism Mr. Frank Sweeny
Building Control Mr. Sean Kelly
Client Services Mr. Kevin O‟Gara
Corporate Services Mr. Danny McSorley
Development Mr. Harry Parkinson
Emergency planning coordinator
(WGEHS)
Ms. Joan M. McCaffrey
Environmental Health Mr. David Gillis
Finance Ms. Joan McCaffrey
Human Resources Ms. Rosemary Rafferty
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Abbreviations
CCPB Civil Contingencies Policy Branch CE Chief Executive CIEH NI Chartered Institute of Environmental Health Northern Ireland EHO Environmental Health Officer EMS Environmental Management System EPCO Emergency Planning Coordinating Officer IPCC International Panel on Climate Change LCLIP Local Climate Impact Profile NILGA Northern Ireland Local Government Association OFMDFM Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister PSNI Police Service of Northern Ireland SAM Sustainable Audit Matrix SEHO Senior Environmental Health Officer WGEHS Western Group Environmental Health Service UKCIP United Kingdom Climate Impact Profile
iv
Table of Contents Acknowledgements ................................................................................................. ii
Abbreviations ......................................................................................................... iii
Table of Contents .................................................................................................... iv
List of Figures .......................................................................................................... vi
1. Introduction .................................................................................................. 1
1.1 Background ....................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Benefits ............................................................................................................. 1
1.3 Current UK overview .......................................................................................... 1
1.4 Climate change .................................................................................................. 1
1.5 Aim and objectives ............................................................................................. 2
2. Methodology .................................................................................................. 4
2.1 Phase 1: Media trawl .......................................................................................... 4
2.2 Interviews ......................................................................................................... 4
3. Northern Ireland’s Climate ............................................................................ 5
3.1 Temperature ..................................................................................................... 5
3.2 Sunshine ........................................................................................................... 5
3.3 Rainfall .............................................................................................................. 5
3.4 Snowfall ............................................................................................................ 6
3.5 Wind ................................................................................................................. 6
4. Omagh Climate Profile .................................................................................. 7
4.1 Omagh .............................................................................................................. 7
4.2 Temperature ..................................................................................................... 7
4.3 Rainfall .............................................................................................................. 7
4.4 Wind ................................................................................................................. 7
4.5 Sunshine ........................................................................................................... 8
4.6 Snowfall ............................................................................................................ 8
4.7 Sleet/snowfall .................................................................................................... 8
5. UK Climate Projections ‘09 ............................................................................ 9
6. Media Trawl ................................................................................................. 10
6.1 Strong winds ................................................................................................... 10
6.2 Heavy rainfall/flooding ..................................................................................... 10
6.3 High temperatures ........................................................................................... 11
6.4 Frost, ice, snow ............................................................................................... 11
6.5 Lightning ......................................................................................................... 11
6.6 High impact events .......................................................................................... 11
6.7 Tabulated media trawl- weather findings by type of event .................................. 12
v
6.7.1 Media trawl findings: heavy rainfall/flooding ............................................... 12
6.7.2 Media trawl findings: strong winds ............................................................. 13
6.7.3 Media trawl findings: frost/ice/snow .......................................................... 14
6.7.4 Media trawl findings: high temperatures ..................................................... 15
6.7.5 Media trawl findings: lightning .................................................................. 15
7. Council Departmental Interviews ............................................................... 16
8. Results ......................................................................................................... 17
8.1 Impact of past weather related events .............................................................. 17
8.2 Monitoring, recording or assessing the risks associated with severe weather ....... 17
8.2.1 Advance monitoring .................................................................................. 17
8.2.2 Investigative tools (to assess impacts) ........................................................ 17
8.2.3 Planning for the future .............................................................................. 17
8.2.4 Suggestions as to how ODC might better prepare for dealing with future
events. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….18
8.2.5 Assessment of the impact that past weather events had had upon
departmental operations ......................................................................................... 18
8.2.6 Any future plans for stakeholder engagement on climate related events ....... 18
8.2.7 Disadvantaged groups ............................................................................... 18
9. Deprivation .................................................................................................. 20
9.1 Deprivation by Ward ........................................................................................ 20
10. Other Financial Costs................................................................................... 21
11. Discussion and Recommendations .............................................................. 22
11.1 Discussion ...................................................................................................... 22
11.1.1 Departmental Reviews .................................................................................. 22
11.1.2 Data recording ............................................................................................. 22
11.1.3 Partnerships ................................................................................................. 23
11.1.4 Vulnerable groups ........................................................................................ 23
11.2 Recommendations and next steps towards adaptation ....................................... 23
vi
List of Figures
Fig1: Summary of climate change projections for Northern Ireland to 2050 based on a
medium scenario..........................................................................................................9
Fig. 2: Pie chart illustrating the percentages of headlines, discovered during the media trawl
of local newspapers, attributed to each extreme weather event occurring between January
2001 and December 2010 ............................................................................................10
1
1. Introduction 1.1 Background
A Local Climate Impact Profile (LCLIP) is a tool which is intended to assist local authorities
better understand the vulnerabilities of their particular area to the impacts of climate
change. Such understanding is seen as a powerful catalyst to develop awareness within local
authorities, as well as providing a useful starting point towards developing a climate change
adaptation strategy.
In order to assess current vulnerabilities, there is a need to understand how and why the
local authority area is affected by the weather and how this impinges on its ability to deliver
services.
The methodology has been developed by the UK Climate Impacts Partnership (UKCIP). The
UKCIP was established in 1997 to help co-ordinate scientific research into the impacts of
climate change, and to help organisations adapt to those unavoidable impacts. UKCIP is
based at the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford.
1.2 Benefits
An LCLIP is a starting point towards creating a climate change adaption strategy. It can
help highlight problem areas and prepare the local authority to respond better to future
events. It can also assist in raising awareness of potential impacts with key stakeholders,
for example elected members, Council staff, local businesses and the general public. Using
the findings from an LCLIP helps inform future planning and adaptation to ensure continuity
of services and also to return cost savings in areas such as emergency provisions, preparing
properties for winter, or minimising insurance claims.
1.3 Current UK overview
To date 106 councils in England have completed LCLIPs, with many more councils
committed to doing the same. Scotland and Wales have produced four LCLIPs each, with
more expected.
Omagh District Council (ODC) is the first local authority in Northern Ireland (NI) to complete
an LCLIP.
1.4 Climate change
Our climate is changing. The following points highlight some of those documented changes:
Eight of the warmest 15 years globally have occurred since 20001.
1Studies by the UK Met Office, the Climate Research Office Unit and the NASA Institute for Space Studies.
2
The observed global temperature increase since 1990 has been 0.33oC, a figure
which lies at the upper end of the 2007 International Panel on Climate Change‟s
(IPCC) predicted range (Fusell 2009)
Over the next two decades, a warming of 0.2oC is expected per decade (IPCC,
2007).
By the end of the 21st century, best estimates from a range of six differing scenarios
have projected global temperatures to rise by between 1.8-4.0oC (IPCC, 2007).
Apart from gradual climate change, it is expected that there will be an increased frequency
and intensity of some extreme weather events. Floods, droughts, heat waves and storm
surges could become more frequent and intense (Van Vuuren et al, 2010).
Such changes will create a number of impacts, including direct health impacts:
Temperature-related mortality is expected to rise with heat waves (IPCC, 2007).
Increased flooding will damage property, displace people and affect crop yields, but
it will also bring about the spread of disease and injury (Van Vuuren et al, 2010).
The IPCC report highlights that such weather related events will lead to an increased
burden on services due to a rise in human health issues such as diarrhoeal diseases,
cardio-respiratory diseases and an altered spatial distribution of some infectious
diseases.
The potential impacts of global warming are complex. NI is likely to face warmer and drier
summers, contrasted with milder and wetter winters, leading to increased likelihood of
periods of drought and flooding. These changes have the potential to affect all sectors of
society, from health and social care to economic market activity. Potential impacts include:
The destruction of property
The spread of diseases
The displacement of large groups of people (from other regions of the world)
An increase in heat related fatalities
Logistical problems in providing aid and support.
1.5 Aim and objectives
This LCILP provides a profile of the ODC area‟s vulnerability to climate change. In the past,
the district experienced a number of extreme weather events such as flooding, which led to
property damage, caused distress to residents, and placed extra demands on the Council‟s
services. This report examines past weather related events and how their impacts were
managed.
The aims of this LCLIP are:
1. To gather information on past impacts of extreme weather events within the ODC
area
2. To asses the vulnerability of ODC to these events from an operational and financial
point of view
3
3. To assess climate change impacts on vulnerable/deprived groups within ODC.
4. To highlight possible future impacts.
5. To provide information that will help inform future climate change adaptation
measures.
The objectives to achieve these are:
1. To catalogue all significant weather events affecting ODC area over a ten year
period.
2. To establish how all ODC departments were affected by the extreme weather events
and to determine how they might better respond in the future.
3. To assess the impacts of these events and their associated costs, where possible.
4. To highlight these impacts in relation to future climate change scenarios.
5. To produce recommendations for action by ODC.
6. To produce a foundation for a climate change adaptation strategy.
4
2. Methodology This LCLIP is based on the methodology5 designed by UKCIP which involves a two phased
research approach. The first phase involved a media trawl of local newspapers in order to
identify weather events which affected the area during a ten year timeframe (from January
2001 to December 2010). The second phase involved conducting interviews with the heads
of Departments in ODC.
2.1 Phase 1: Media trawl
A media trawl of the two local newspapers, the Ulster Herald and the Tyrone Constitution,
was undertaken to identify the weather events which received headline attention. Copies of
each issue of each newspaper from the study period, January 2001 to December 2010, were
accessed from archives and were manually searched for relevant information. Information
gathered included: the source newspaper, the headline, date of event, weather type, for
example wind, excessive rainfall etc and its impact and significance.
2.2 Interviews
To determine whether or not, and if so to what extent, the operations within various Council
departments had been affected by any weather events, staff within the following eight
departments were interviewed:
Arts and Tourism.
Building Control.
Corporate Services.
Development.
Environmental Health (incorporating Emergency Planning).
Finance.
Human Resources.
Technical Services.
Interviews took place with the Chief Officer or a nominated senior member of staff from
each department and were conducted by the Policy Researcher from the CIEH, with the
support of a Senior EHO from Omagh District Council and a Principal EHO from the Western
Group Environmental Health Service.
Specific attention was paid to two weather events identified from the media search results
as having had the highest impacts on the Omagh area: a flash flooding incident in 2007 and
a prolonged period of frost, ice and snow in January 2010.
5
3. Northern Ireland‟s Climate The NI climate is characterised by the moderating effects of the Atlantic Ocean, the
indented shape of the coastline and the presence of high ground which results in localised
differences in temperature, cloud and precipitation.
3.1 Temperature
The main factors influencing temperature are distance from the sea and altitude. During
winter, temperatures are influenced to a large extent by the surface of the surrounding sea
which reaches its lowest temperature level in late February or early March. Therefore
around coastal areas, February is normally the coldest month.
The lowest temperatures generally occur away from the moderating influence of the sea.
The lowest officially accepted temperature recorded in NI was -18.7oC, at Castlederg,
County Tyrone on 23 December 2010.
July is normally the warmest month, with average daily maximum temperatures varying
from around 17oC in upland areas and along the north coast, to almost 20oC in low lying
areas to the south of Lough Neagh and in Fermanagh. The highest temperature ever
recorded was 30.8oC measured at both Knockarevan in County Fermanagh on 30 June 1976
and at Shaw‟s Bridge in Belfast on 12 July 1983.
3.2 Sunshine
NI is cloudier than the rest of the UK because of the hilly nature of the terrain and its
proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. However, the coastal strip of County Down manages an
annual average total of over 1400 hours of sunshine.
The least sunny parts are the upland areas of the north and west, with annual average
totals of less than 1100 hours. Mean monthly sunshine figures reach a maximum in May
and are at their lowest in December.
3.3 Rainfall
Rainfall varies widely, with the wettest places being in the Sperrin, Antrim and Mourne
Mountains. Exposure to rain-bearing winds off the Atlantic results in higher average rainfalls
in the more western counties of Fermanagh, Londonderry/Derry and Tyrone. In the wettest
areas, rainfall totals reach 1950 mm. Average annual totals are just below 800 mm. The
highest rainfall areas have average annual totals of about 1600 mm. In all areas, the
wettest months are between October and January.
The combination of close proximity to active weather systems arriving from the Atlantic and
the extensive areas of upland can lead to notable daily and monthly rainfalls. Periods of
prolonged rainfall can lead to widespread flooding, for example, the autumn of 2000 was
the wettest season for over 100 years with several flooding episodes, including a fall of 167
mm of rain at the Silent Valley, County Down over 48 hours in early November.
6
3.4 Snowfall
Snowfalls rarely occur if the temperature is higher than 4oC. The number of days during
which snow falls, increases with increasing latitude and altitude. Snowfall is comparatively
rare near sea level in NI.
The average number of days each year when sleet or snow falls varies from around 10 days
near the east coast, to over 35 days in the Sperrin, Antrim and Mourne mountains.
The average annual number of days with snow lying in Northern Ireland varies from less
than 10 in coastal areas, to over 30 in the mountains. A day of lying snow is defined as the
ground being more than 50% covered at 0900. The number of days of snowfall and snow
cover varies enormously from year to year. During the last 50 years it has ranged from zero
to in excess of 30 days during the winters of 1962/63 and 1981/82. In heavy snowfalls there
can be quite extensive drifting of snow in strong winds, especially over higher ground.
3.5 Wind
NI is one of the windier parts of the UK, particularly over the highest ground and along the
coasts of counties Antrim and Down.
The strongest winds are in the winter months, especially from November to January.
Gales2 occur most frequently in low altitude areas, such as along the coasts of counties
Antrim and Down, with an average of around 15 days of gales each year. The number of
gales decreases inland to 5 days or fewer around Lough Neagh.
Wind speed is sensitive to local topographic effects.
A prevailing south-westerly wind direction throughout the year is typical in low lying inland
locations. However, in spring, north, north-east and easterly winds occur frequently.
2If the wind reaches a mean speed of 34 knots or more over any ten consecutive minutes, then that day is classed as having a
gale.
7
4. Omagh Climate Profile3 4.1 Omagh
The district of Omagh covers an area of almost 113,000 hectares (440 square miles),
making it the second largest district council area in NI. It has a population of some 52,500.
The county town of Omagh is at the centre with the rest of the district primarily rural in
character, with people living in scattered small towns and villages or in dispersed rural
communities.3
Omagh town is situated at the confluence of the Camowen, Strule and Drumragh rivers,
within a natural bowl-shaped valley that is enclosed to the north by the mountain of
Mullaghcarn.
4.2 Temperature
Due to its inland western locality, the area can experience some of the highest temperatures
in NI.
Monthly maximum temperatures during the time under study ranged from 4.1oC (January
2010) to 21.8oC (July 2006) with an average of 13.06oC.
Minimum temperatures ranged from 11.9oC (July 2006) to -2.2oC (January 2010), with an
average of 5.54oC.
4.3 Rainfall
Compared to other low-lying areas in NI, Omagh tends to experience wetter conditions on
an annual basis, due to its proximity to the Sperrin Mountains.
Monthly rainfall totals ranged from 29.9 mm (February 2009) to 226.3 mm (November
2009) with an average of 96.82 mm. On the 12 July 2007 the Edenfel weather station
recorded a total of 94.7 mm of rain, which was the wettest day in the station‟s history, since
it was established in 1872.
4.4 Wind
Monthly average wind speeds ranged from 5.01 knots (December 2009) to 10.69 knots
(January 2005), with an average of 6.8 knots.
3 NIEA, 1-February-2010.Omagh Farmland Geodiversity Profile. [online] Available at:
<http://www.doeni.gov.uk/niea/print/landscape/country_landscape/22/22-geo.htm> [Accessed 23-
January-2011].
8
4.5 Sunshine
Monthly average hours of sunshine ranged from 26.2 hours (November 2007) to 229 hours
(May 2008), with an average of 101.25 hours.
4.6 Snowfall
As Omagh lies in the foot-hills of the Sperrin Mountains, the area tends to see rather more
days of falling and lying snow in winter, and a higher incidence of frost than other low-lying
areas.
The annual number of days with snowfall ranged from 1 day in 2007 to 24 days in 2009,
and from January-August 2010. The annual average number of days of snowfall is 8.
4.7 Sleet/snowfall
The average number of days each year of sleet/snowfall varies from around 10 near the
east coast to over 35 in the mountains of Sperrin, Antrim and Mourne4 .
4 http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/ni/print.html
9
5. UK Climate Projections „09 The following figure depicts climate projections for NI based on the findings of the UK
Climate Projection ‟09.5 All projected values are relative to 2009 climate conditions and the
projections illustrate what the climate may be like, long into the future.
Estimating our future climate is an imprecise science as the outcomes depend greatly on
changes in greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change modelling for a medium scenario for
the UK into the 2050s has indicated rising temperatures, even if emissions are cut
significantly.
Fig 1. Based on the medium scenario, the following points summarise the projections for NI
to 2050:
Average summer temperature 2.2oC Increase
Average winter temperature 1.7oC Increase
Average summer rainfall 13% Decrease
Average winter rainfall 9% Increase
More prolonged winter rainfall may well result in an increased incidence of flooding –
(perhaps similar to that experienced in Fermanagh in Autumn 2009). While rainfall in
summer is expected to decrease overall, a greater proportion may fall as intense short
duration episodes increasing the risk of flash flooding in summer, (as happened in Omagh in
2007). This type of rainfall however tends to be more localised in nature and the reduction
in summer rainfall overall would increase the risk of more prolonged periods of exceptionally
dry weather or even periods of drought.
Ref. UKCP09, DEFRA. 50% probability level
5UK Climate Impacts Programme, 1-December-2010. LCLIP: Local Climate Impacts Profile. [online] Available at: <http://www.ukcip.org.uk/lclip/> [Accessed 23-January-2011].The UK Climate Projections (UKCP09) give climate information for the UK up to the end of this century. Projections of future changes to our climate are provided, based on simulations from climate models. The purpose of providing information on the possible future climate is to help those needing to plan how they will adapt to help society and the natural environment to cope with a changing climate.
10
6. Media Trawl The two local newspapers, the Ulster Herald and the Tyrone Constitution, were searched for
stories concerning extreme weather events in the Omagh area between January 2001 and
December 2010 (i.e. a total study period of 10 years). The trawl produced 58 headlines,
illustrated in Fig.2 below.
Fig. 2: Pie chart illustrating the percentages of headlines, discovered during the media
trawl of local newspapers, attributed to each extreme weather event occurring between
January 2001 and December 2010.
A breakdown of weather events and the years in which they occurred can be seen in the
table on page 12.
6.1 Strong winds
Strong winds were mentioned in a total of 16 headlines during the study period. This
weather event was deemed to be headline news in eight of the ten studied years. The
impacts from this weather type were reported to be damage to property, power failure, and
disruption to services, all of which most commonly resulted from felled trees. The majority
of these weather events and their impacts have been considered to have had a medium
level of significance.
6.2 Heavy rainfall/flooding
Heavy rainfall/ flooding was mentioned in 13 headlines during the study period. This
weather event was headline news in 6 years, with at least two headlines each year between
2007 and 2010. The impacts from these events were disruption to services, damage to
buildings/subsidence and surface water flooding. Eleven of these 13 events were
considered as having medium or high significance level.
11
6.3 High temperatures
High temperatures were mentioned in 10 headlines in 5 of the studied years. The impact of
these events was to encourage more outdoor activity. These events were considered as
being of low significance for ODC.
6.4 Frost, ice, snow
Frost, ice, and snow were mentioned in 18 headlines during the studied period. These
weather events were the most reported events, occurring in 8 of the years studied. Frost,
ice and snow occurred at least once in eight consecutive years from 2003 to 2010. The
impacts of these events were disruption to everyday living, particularly where power failure
was involved. The majority of these events were considered to have had a medium level of
significance.
6.5 Lightning
During the ten years studied, lightning damage was reported only once. This happened in
2005. The impact of this event was damage to two private homes. This event was
considered to have had a low level of significance.
6.6 High impact events
Two events occurred within the period under study that were considered as having a high
level of significance.
Event 1: Flash flooding, June 2007
Impact: Severe disruption of normal life.
Farm lanes were impassable or partly washed away.
Businesses and homes were flooded and contaminated with mud, animal waste and
sewage.
Heating boilers failed.
Electricity supplies were considered unsafe to use in the soggy conditions.
Event 2: Prolonged period of frost, ice and snow, January 2010.
Impacts: Disruption to normal life for a three week period.
Heavy falls of snow and repeated sub zero temperatures left many roads impassable
for drivers with some people trapped in their homes.
Gritting of roads was a priority but the benefit of the grit was soon swallowed up by
the next fall of snow.
Even those on foot suffered as footpaths went ungritted and there were many minor
injuries through people slipping and falling in the treacherous conditions.
Food deliveries to shops were delayed and schools stayed closed.
12
6.7 Tabulated media trawl- weather findings by type of event
6.7.1 Media trawl findings: heavy rainfall/flooding
Source Headline Date of Event
Impact Significance
Tyrone Constitution
Wet..wet..wet as Winter takes an early grip
21 Oct 02
Disruption to processes
Medium
Tyrone Constitution
Outrage at flooding 25-26 Nov 04
Damage to buildings / subsidence
High
Tyrone Constitution
Flooding havoc 12 June 07 Disruption to processes
High
Ulster Herald Flash floods cause chaos
12 June 07 Disruption to processes
High
Tyrone Constitution
Residents in fear of future flood occurrences
12 June 07
Damage to buildings / subsidence
High
Tyrone Constitution
Flash flooding continues to cause chaos in Tyrone
19-26 Nov 07
Surface water flooding
Low
Tyrone Constitution
Flood waters wreak havoc across county
16 Aug 08
Damage to buildings / subsidence
High
Ulster Herald Shields slam Rivers Agency for lack of foresight
16 Sept 08
Damage to buildings / subsidence
Medium
Tyrone Constitution
Major clean up after flash floods wreak havoc
19 Aug 09
Damage to buildings / subsidence
High
Ulster Herald Newtown householders demand Compo
22 Aug 09
Damage to buildings / subsidence
Medium
Tyrone Constitution
Residents put on a heroic face in aftermath of devastating floods
19 Aug 09
Damage to buildings / subsidence
Medium
Ulster Herald Homeowners and businesses feared extensive flooding
4 Sept 10 Damage to buildings / subsidence
Low
Tyrone Constitution
Heavy rain brings flooding to local area
5 Nov 10
Disruption to processes
Medium
13
6.7.2 Media trawl findings: strong winds
Source Headline Date of Event
Impact Significance
Ulster Herald Close shave as tree falls on bin lorry
21 Aug 01 Disruption to processes
Low
Tyrone Constitution
Storm force winds brings down trees and cause blackouts
27 Jan 02
Disruption to processes
Medium
Ulster Herald Storm force winds disrupt 2000 power lines locally
27 Jan 02
Power failure
Medium
Tyrone Constitution
Tyrone battered as storm rages
7 Jan 05
Disruption to processes
Medium
Ulster Herald Sewage overflow as storm strikes
8 Jan 05
Power failure
Medium
Tyrone Constitution
Power blackout across Tyrone as severe winds return.
14 Feb 05
Power failure
Low
Tyrone Constitution
Over 6,000 homes blacked out in turbulent end of year
31 Dec 06
Power failure
Medium
Tyrone Constitution
Thousands of homes blacked out as gust of wind reach 70mph
10 Jan 07
Power failure
Medium
Tyrone Constitution
Stormy conditions cause disruption on roads
8 Jan 08
Damage to buildings / subsidence
Medium
Tyrone Constitution
March roaring Wreaking havoc for drivers and homeowners
3 March 08
Damage to buildings / subsidence
Medium
Tyrone Constitution
725 Gortin residents left without power in weekend blackout and Icy spell leaves Aghyaran residents without power
6 Jan 09
Power failure
Low
Tyrone Constitution
Lashing rain, gales and snow wreak havoc across West Tyrone
18 Jan 09
Disruption to processes
Medium
Tyrone Constitution
Weekend gale force winds wreak havoc across Omagh District
24 & 25 Oct 09
Power failure
Medium
Tyrone Constitution
Gale force winds cause havoc for locals
8 July 10
Power failure
Medium
Tyrone Constitution
Miraculous escape for family as tree crashes down on car
5 Sept 10
Damage to buildings / subsidence
Medium
Ulster Herald Gortin man recounts close escape from falling tree
4 Sept 10
Damage to buildings / subsidence
Medium
14
6.7.3 Media trawl findings: frost/ice/snow
Source Headline Date of Event
Impact Significance
Tyrone Constitution
Winter Wonderland 6 Feb 03 Disruption to processes
Medium
Ulster Herald Cold snap causes chaos on the roads
4 Feb 03 Disruption to processes
Low
Tyrone Constitution
Snow comes early for Christmas
20 Dec 03 Disruption to processes
Medium
Tyrone Constitution
Dreams of a white Christmas come true
25 Dec 04 Disruption to processes
Low
Tyrone Constitution
Snow puts halt to school lessons for thousands locally
18 Jan 05 Disruption to processes
Low
Ulster Herald 5,000 children miss school as cold snap bites in Tyrone
17 Jan 05 Disruption to processes
Medium
Tyrone Constitution
Blanket of snow heralds official arriving of snow
2 March 06 Disruption to processes
Low
Tyrone Constitution
Winter returns with a vengeance
17 March 07 Disruption to processes
Low
Tyrone Constitution
Spring vanishes and replaced by blanket of snow
3-10 April 08
Disruption to processes
Low
Tyrone Constitution
Drivers turn into gauntlet as icy snap causes mayhem on roads
4-11 Dec 08
Disruption to processes
Medium
Ulster Herald Icy roads 'nothing to do with a lack of grit' - Roads Service
9 Dec 08
Disruption to processes
Medium
Ulster Herald Schools close and roads blocked as stormy weather hits Tyrone
20 Jan 09
Disruption to processes
Medium
Tyrone Constitution
Snow and ice brings woes for motorists and pedestrians
24-26 Jan 09
Disruption to processes
Medium
Tyrone Constitution
Its Brrritsh summer time with an Arctic Feel
30 March 10 Disruption to processes
Low
Ulster Herald Freak winter weather causes blackouts and havoc for local motorists
31 March 10 Power failure
Medium
Tyrone Constitution
Plumbridge family trapped by 8ft of snow
8 April 10 Disruption to processes
Medium
Ulster Herald The Big Freeze 7 & 14 Dec 10
Disruption to processes
High
Tyrone Constitution
Injury toll mounts as icy grip shows no mercy
24 Dec 09 – 14 Jan 2010
Disruption to processes
Medium
15
6.7.4 Media trawl findings: high temperatures
Source Headline Date of Event
Impact Significance
Ulster Herald Mild Indian summer gives way to heavy rain
24 Feb 02 Low
Tyrone Constitution
Summer at last after wet June and July
8 Aug 02 Low
Tyrone Constitution
Marvellous May and the Heat is on
27 May 04 Low
Tyrone Constitution
Omagh basks in record breaking temperatures
14-20 July 06
Low
Ulster Herald Tyrone makes hay while sun shines
20 July 06
Low
Tyrone Constitution
Hot weather likely cause of fish kill
03 Aug 06
Changes in biodiversity
Low
Tyrone Constitution
Sunsational temperatures peak in Castlederg
2 June 09
Changes in lifestyle Low
Ulster Herald Derg hottest place this week
1 June 09
Low
Tyrone Constitution
Stocking oats while the sun shone
10-17 Sept 09
Changes in lifestyle
Low
Ulster Herald Locals make hay in the fine sunshine
24 June 10 Low
6.7.5 Media trawl findings: lightning
Source Headline Date of Event
Impact Significance
Tyrone Constitution
Terrifying ordeal as lightening strikes homes
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7. Council Departmental Interviews Interviews were conducted with staff from all eight Council departments. Additionally, an interview
was conducted with the Emergency Planning Coordinator within the Western Group Environmental
Health Service as it provides emergency planning support to ODC.
Interviews were based on a series of questions which focused on the following areas:
1. Past weather events that had impacted on the department (either in terms of their ability to
provide services or demand on resources)
2. Mechanisms currently in place to record and assess the impacts of severe weather (monitoring;
risk assessments; records)
3. The extent to which planning had taken place for the future (consideration of the long term
impacts; procedures or policies for severe weather events or adaptation; training; etc)
4. Questions as to how ODC might better prepare for dealing with future events
5. Assessment of the impact that past weather events had had upon individual departmental
operations
6. Any future plans for stakeholder engagement on climate related events
7. An assessment of the extent to which climate related events had disproportionately affected
vulnerable groups
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8. Results 8.1 Impact of past weather related events
Flooding and frost/ice/snow were identified by most departments as key weather events which had
impacted on their ability to provide services. A summary of the nature of these impacts included:
ODC premises and facilities (e.g. community centres) rendered unusable
Costs associated with the repairs/clean up
Mobility issues for staff preventing them getting to work and the knock on effect on service
provision (decreased capacity)
Impact of Council policies on staffing levels (e.g. carer‟s leave policy)
Increased workload due to ODC‟s coordinating role in such circumstances
Increased demand from the public for services (often not the responsibility of the Council
but which adds to the overall workload in terms of facilitating responses to such requests)
Increased workload in acting as a communication hub (media releases; briefings for elected
representatives; etc)
Use of ODC facilities to provide temporary respite for affected families and/or individuals
Additional services required as a direct result of severe weather
Two of the departments interviewed did not identify any impacts as a result of severe weather.
8.2 Monitoring, recording or assessing the risks associated with severe weather
8.2.1 Advance monitoring
In terms of assessing the risk of severe weather, all departments cited information received from
the Met Office as their primary source of information.
8.2.2 Investigative tools (to assess impacts)
There are currently no investigative tools used (or data recorded/measured) that would allow the
Council to quantify all of the impacts outlined in the previous section.
Some measurement is carried out with regard to carers leave taken under the Councils policy on the
same and within Western Group Environmental Health Service, which provides support to ODC on
emergency planning, there is a proposal to record the impact of severe weather by means of a
logging system.
One of the 8 Council departments had undertaken some analysis to quantify the impacts from
previous events with additional hours worked as a result of the incidents being costed. The costs of
dealing with the flooding in 2007 by administrative and field workers were largely absorbed within
the department‟s budget with resultant impacts on other planned activities and with overtime
payments being reimbursed by central government.
8.2.3 Planning for the future
Only 1 department had specifically considered the long term impacts of climate change on its
operations.
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Two departments interviewed had developed departmental policies and/or procedures specifically
for extreme/severe weather events. In one of these departments additional staff training had also
been undertaken.
However, the Council does have an emergency management and business continuity plan.
Emergency planning in the ODC area is facilitated and coordinated from within the Western Group
Environmental Health Service. This includes not just ODC but also 4 other councils in the west of NI
namely Derry CC, Fermanagh DC, Strabane DC and Limavady BC. The emergency management plan
does provide for coordination and integration in a given emergency scenario, particularly between
the Council and other public bodies and agencies.
It was recognised by the Chief Executive that there was a need for ongoing development of the
emergency procedures manual in light of experience gained.
8.2.4 Suggestions as to how ODC might better prepare for dealing with future events.
The general consensus from all those interviewed was that ODC was well prepared for dealing with
future events.
There was a suggestion from 1 department that improvement of the communication infrastructure
that would allow staff to work more effectively from home would help in future scenarios as one of
the impacts of severe weather was the inability of some staff to travel to the administrative centre.
A back-up IT system that was shared with other councils was also suggested as a potential
improvement.
8.2.5 Assessment of the impact that past weather events had had upon departmental
operations
In terms of their assessments of the severity of the impacts only one department considered past
extreme weather events to have had a high impact on their area of service overall. In all other
cases the interviewees considered the overall impact to be low.
As outlined at 8.2.2 above, one department has undertaken some work to quantify the impacts of
previous events in terms of increased/additional demands on services.
8.2.6 Any future plans for stakeholder engagement on climate related events
No departments currently have any plans to discuss climate change implications with any
stakeholder groups. However, in some cases departments commented that they would, “be able to
identify groups with which it could discuss these matters in the future”.
8.2.7 Disadvantaged groups
Interviewees were asked to identify disadvantaged groups which either had or could suffer
disproportionately as a result of severe weather events.
Four of the departments interviewed did not identify any such groups.
The remaining 4 identified the following groups:
Rural dwellers.
Young first time buyers of homes who may not consider flooding, snow or energy demands.
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Populations inhabiting the foothills of the Sperrin Mountains for whom mobility was a
problem during frost/ice/snow events.
Wards on the periphery of the district and one urban ward containing the CKS community
centre, all of which had the most mobility issues during frost and snow.
The elderly.
Residents or home owners, who may have an inability to protect their property from
flooding.
The residents/owners of areas of high density housing/commercial buildings built within a
hot spot or high risk area.
One department interviewed suggested that there was a need to better identify, “at risk/vulnerable
groups”.
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9. Deprivation 9.1 Deprivation by Ward
A simple exercise was carried out in an attempt to match flood damage (and subsequent payments)
with deprivation in the wards of the ODC area. Data on deprivation was provided by NISRA* and
was matched with the payments made to householders who sustained flood damage in 2007 and is
illustrated in the table below. Of 94 payments made, 61 fell in the ten most deprived wards and 33
fell in the 11 least deprived wards. This finding merits further investigation but would suggest that
there is a link between deprivation and susceptibility/risk.
Omagh DC- Ward/Deprivation/Payments table Ref. Nisra 2010
(x)= number of payments made in ward
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450
Lisanelly (6)
Fintona
Gortrush (8)
Drumquin
Strule (9)
Coolnagard (25)
Termon
Dromore
Camowen (11)
Drumnakilly (2)
Sixmilecross
Owenkillew
Dergmoney (1)
Beragh
Killyclogher (4)
Newtownsaville
Gortin
Clanabogan (1)
Trillick
Drumragh (27)
Fairy Water
higher deprivation lower deprivation
61 payments in 10 most
deprived wards
33 payments in 11
least deprived
wards
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10. Other Financial Costs
The financial cost to the NI Executive of dealing with the flooding in 2007 was estimated at
approximately £95,000.
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11. Discussion and Recommendations 11.1 Discussion
The interviews carried out with departments suggest that the senior management in ODC believe
that the Council is in a reasonable position to cope with future extreme weather events. They also
predominantly perceive such events to be of low impact overall.
However this is almost entirely a subjective assessment/perception, since, with one exception, no
department was able to really quantify the impact that extreme weather has had on their
operations.
The climate projections highlighted in this report, however suggests future extreme events will
increase in both magnitude and frequency, thus placing a likely additional strain on resources in
ODC.
11.1.1 Departmental Reviews
Each department‟s approach to extreme weather events is shaped by the past experiences of their
staff. This review has highlighted the need for a more systematic analysis looking at the effects
extreme weather on departmental operations. Case studies based on past events should be
developed and the possible impacts each weather event may have upon each department in the
future should be anticipated/predicted based upon the analysis provided in this report (see page
12). In doing this there should be an assessment of how each department monitors these effects
and this information should be used to review, adapt and plan for future events. Staff training would
be an essential element of this process.
A problem affecting all departments during extreme weather events is the inability to travel to and
from work. Often travel is not possible, so in order to minimise disruption to operations, a new
system which allows remote working from home should be considered and developed. This may
also facilitate staff in taking carer‟s leave, without compromising ODC services and allow the carer‟s
leave policy to be reviewed.
11.1.2 Data recording
There are wide variations and little consistency in records kept with no department currently
keeping complete records on how these events directly impacted upon their services. This makes it
difficult to review activities and develop robust adaptation strategies. In many cases, planning and
responding to weather related events is dependant on the past experience of a senior member of
staff. These arrangements are often informal with no procedures or policies in place, so when that
staff member retires or leaves the employ of the Council, their experience and knowledge are lost.
There is a need to develop a standard monitoring database system. Better record keeping is
essential to improve understanding of how weather events impact upon operations. Only when the
full extent of impacts are recorded and assessed can a plan for adaptation be drawn up and
standard policies and procedures put in place. Key data might include:
extra staff hours worked to deal with events.
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costings that can be attributed specifically to these events (including accounting codes which
enable these costs to be drawn out when required).
areas affected
numbers of people affected
11.1.3 Partnerships
Partnerships, in the context of emergency and resilience planning between the Council and other
local authorities/agencies have been historically informal. However, this is changing. It is now
recognised that in order to achieve the best outcomes, the Council needs to formalise all such
partnerships. Formal cross-sectoral partnership relationships will allow for protocols to be drawn up,
and to make clear each agency‟s roles and responsibilities during extreme events. These
relationships should also facilitate information sharing which will be to the benefit of each involved
party, and ultimately the public.
11.1.4 Vulnerable groups
The interviews show that not all departments perceived there to be identifiable vulnerable groups,
for example, the elderly, those living alone, those with limited resources, and those with mental or
physical health problems, who might or would be adversely affected by extreme weather events.
This situation needs to be addressed as clearly there are such groups and it is essential that future
adaptation plans consider this.
The simple exercise carried out to match flood inconvenience payments to disadvantaged wards has
revealed a much higher proportion of payments being made in the top 50% of disadvantaged wards
when compared to the remaining less disadvantaged wards. A much more detailed statistically valid
analysis of the situation should be carried out to determine the exact relationship between flood
damage and disadvantage.
11.2 Recommendations and next steps towards adaptation
ODC is one of Northern Irelands leading local authorities in terms of its efforts to reduce the
environmental impacts of its own activities and services and in turn reduce its emissions. It is clear
that ODC is playing its part in efforts to mitigate future climate impacts6.
However, this LCLIP work has focused specifically on the nature, frequency and occurrence of
previous climate impacts and through doing so seeks to provide baseline information on how well
ODC is prepared for future weather events.
6 At the time of publishing this report, ODC have been ranked 5th place from the 17 local authorities which
participated in the 13th Arena N.I. Environmental Benchmarking Survey which is run on behalf of the Northern
Ireland Environment Agency by Business in the Community‟s ARENA Network.
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Inertia within the climate system means that the effects of past green house gas emissions will
continue to be experienced for a considerable period of time regardless of any future steps taken to
reduce emissions. Adaptation is therefore crucial, involving responding to slow gradual changes and
sudden changes such as extreme weather events. Evidence shows that the major climate change
events faced by the Council in recent years are flooding and ice and snow.
This LCLIP has shown that ODC needs to further build upon its adaptation planning. To date the
organisation has coped admirably on an adhoc basis, however, it is clear that often additional
strains (both human and financial) are placed on departments. It is also clear that in some cases
staff do not perceive extreme weather related events as being of real, significant impact on either
their department or ODC as a whole. This may be in part due to the lack of any current systematic
assessment of such impacts using relevant data, but on the other hand it may simply be a
perception. Regardless of the reasons this presents challenges for the organisation in terms of both
awareness as well as the priority that some staff may attach to adaptation planning.
Current climate change projections suggest that it is likely that the frequency and nature of some
extreme weather events will increase. It is therefore imperative that adequate adaptation planning
takes place. As already noted, work has begun on the production of emergency plans, and
partnerships which were once informal are being formalised. In recognition of these activities, a
series of recommendations/next steps have been identified:
Use the findings from this LCLIP to review each department‟s response to extreme weather
events, where possible develop case studies from past events and assess possible future
impact
As well as extreme weather events, the impact of more gradual climate change on each
Council department should be considered further
Develop protocols for responding to extreme weather events for each department identifying
common approaches where possible
Consider training of back up staff who would be available for emergencies
Consider the provision of facilities to allow for home working by key staff, coupled with a
review of carer‟s leave arrangements
Establish a monitoring database system to record the impact of weather events; to be used
across all departments. The database should be able to capture all activities and their
associated costs when dealing with a weather related event. Examples of categories for
possible inclusion are creation of an events log, recording of manpower costs (including
overtime payments), equipment costs (including hire costs), loss or damage to vehicles,
buildings, staff injury, insurance claims and consequent premium increases
Develop further formal partnerships with external agencies, with clear protocols and
responsibilities during extreme weather events
Identify all the vulnerable groups and areas potentially at risk during extreme weather
events
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Conduct follow up meetings with all those involved in the interview process to begin work on
an adaptation process
Use LCLIP findings to make the case for current and future adaptation, to create the
capacity for the development of an adaptation strategy or climate change action plan looking
at future risks and opportunities.
CIEH Northern Ireland Omagh District Council
123 York Street Belfast BT15 1AB The Grange, Mountjoy Road, Omagh, BT79 7BL
Telephone 028 9024 3883 Tel. 028 82245321/82256202
Email : [email protected] Email: [email protected]
www.cieh-nireland.org www.omagh.gov.uk
