HydroSack® supports Witton from freak storms and flash flooding

SITUATION

The City of Birmingham was hit by freak storms and flash flooding in 2012.

IMPLEMENTATION

Gravitas International distributed 1000+ units of flood mitigation products to residents and businesses in and around the Witton area of Birmingham.

RESULTS

Since the flooding, Birmingham City Council has further developed and strengthened their action plan with local flood action groups combined with the use of effective flood defence products including the HydroSack®.

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The Details

In June 2012, the city of Birmingham was hit by a day of freak storms and flash flooding, putting hundreds of homes and businesses at risk.

Despite budget cuts and a lack of investment in flood protection, Birmingham City Council, the largest local authority in Europe, was required to react quickly and efficiently to protect the community. Gravitas International, Northwest-based manufacturer of the HydroSack® & HydroSnake® was quick to respond, deploying 1,000+ units of flood mitigation products to the local residents.

In partnership with Birmingham City Council, the flood response team from Gravitas distributed approximately 500 units of the HydroSack® to at-risk residents and business owners in and around the Witton area. Due to its flexible supply chain, Gravitas was able to react rapidly and was in a position to distribute HydroSacks® within three hours of the flood alerts, and to work with local flood action groups to pinpoint areas which had been acutely affected by the flooding. This ensured that the product was delivered quickly and efficiently to those who needed it the most.

Before use, the HydroSacks® weighed less than 0.5kg each, so were easily transported to site in bulk. The team on site were able to activate the products by immersing them in water for 2-3 minutes creating a water­impermeable barrier, keeping the contaminants at bay.

Clive Wright, Drainage & Flood Risk Manager at Birmingham City Council said, "The HydroSacks® were distributed to residents in Witton to protect them from rising river levels. Units that were left over have now been shared amongst the three main flood action groups, which are storing them economically and will deploy them when necessary."

Ray Nicholls, Chairman of Witton Flood Action Group, said

"We were extremely grateful to have HydroSacks® to give out to residents, so they could be as prepared as possible. They are a great help to the community, because local people can easily store HydroSacks® and be ready to protect themselves when the flash floods come.

"The problem with sandbags is that they need to be pre-filled ad have a limited shelf-life. HydroSacks® can be easily stored for very long periods of time, meaning residents can be self-sufficient in flood defence and prepare in advance."

Since the flash floods struck, Birmingham City Council has further developed and strengthened the action plan with local flood action groups, with a focus on open lines of communication - meaning improved future response times to impending flood problems. This flood risk plan has been combined with more effective flood defence products, such as the HydroSack®, which complement the strategy. It will undoubtedly lead to time and cost savings in the future, as well as ensuring the utmost protection possible for communities.

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