Freuchie Flood Action Group

Freuchie Flood Action Group has just received video footage taken during the flood event in the early hours of the 13th August 2008.

Yet more graphic proof of why Kingdom Housing Association and the developers must ensure they get the flood prevention implementation correct on this site.

This new content will be sent off to Fife Council Development Services, Kingdom Housing Association and SEPA.

If you have trouble viewing the video try going directly to the video hosting website.

Technorati Tags: Fife Council, Fife Council Development Services, flood, flooding, Freuchie, Freuchie Flood Action Group, Kingdom Housing Association, SEPA

The Met Office has issued a severe weather warning for Fife, but the Scotland wide advisory is far more accurate:

There is a moderate risk of severe weather affecting parts of Northern Ireland and Scotland. There is the potential for heavy, thundery rain to give totals in excess of 50 mm in places, with an associated risk of localised flooding.

SEPA has issued a Flood Watch:

A FLOOD WATCH has been issued for Fife and Clackmannanshire rivers.

Heavy rainfall is forecast this morning. High intensity rainfall may cause flooding on small watercourses, roads and in urbanised areas.

Freuchie has seen 38mm of rainfall in the last 6 hours with more rain to come throughout today. Condition couldn’t have been better over the last few months for Freuchie to be able to withstand such a deluge. However residents who invested in flood defences would be advised to have them on standby.

There are a number of gullies blocked in the village and Muirhead. FFAG will report these to Fife Council for maintenance.

Technorati Tags: Fife, Freuchie, Met Office, Muirhead, SEPA, weather

The Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) is now available on the Fife Council Planning website for the proposed Broomfield Place / Millburn Place affordable housing development. Check it out here.

First off the community is disappointed that we weren’t consulted on the FRA, especially as FFAG had made a request for local consultation. As a community we have built up extensive knowledge of the local water courses and areas that flood since August 2008.

We’re also disappointed that little consideration appears to have been given to the flood risk downstream of the development, especially so at Freuchie Mill. The FRA does not appear to demonstrate a key SEPA and planning principle of not making flooding worse elsewhere.

There is also some contradiction between the information contained within this report and the Freuchie Mill report done last year. We’ll be taking this up with Fife Council to gain insight to the true state of flood risk.

Finally, the flood prevention scheme being proposed brings welcome protection to properties around about the development site, including Broomfield Place, Church Street, Millburn Place and The Feus, but it may put Fortharfield, Shiels Avenue and Freuchie Mill Road at higher risk from flooding and almost certainly will bring more frequent and/or intense flooding to Freuchie Mill.

A follow-up objection response from FFAG has been sent into Fife Council Development Services. Should appear on the planning application website in a day or so.

One final thought: two “studies” (term is used in its most generic sense) have now been completed for Freuchie and both have revealed areas at high risk from flooding. How many more times must Freuchie experience flooding before a full flood study is carried out?

Technorati Tags: Broomfield Place, Fife Council, FFAG, flood, flooding, Fortharfield, Freuchie, Freuchie Mill, Millburn Place, planning, SEPA, Shiels Avenue

Residents throughout Freuchie are now on flood watch as water courses continue to rise due to the rain and snow falling on Fife.

SEPA has issued an alarming number of flood warnings throughout Scotland, including Fife and Clackmannanshire rivers.

This statement was prepared on 30 March 2010 at 4:24 pm.

A FLOOD WATCH has been issued for Fife and Clackmannanshire rivers.

Heavy rainfall and some snow is expected throughout Tuesday evening and into Wednesday for Fife and Clackmannanshire. Rivers are rising and localised flooding can be expected. Further updates will appear here as more information becomes available.

This FLOOD WATCH is now in force until further notice.

Concerned Freuchie residents have started to move their cars to areas of safety and items of value have been lifted above the flood level of August 2008. Flood defences are either primed or fully deployed in preparation for possible flooding.

Unfortunately this weather is forecast to be with us throughout tomorrow, with some forecasting services showing it to last into Thursday!

Technorati Tags: Fife, flood, flood watch, flooding, Freuchie, Scotland, SEPA

During tonight’s Freuchie Community Council meeting the issue of the Lomond Homes development for affordable housing to be owned and operated by Kingdom Housing at Broomfield Place was mentioned. The developer has now submitted plans which has some concern for FFAG, the most glaring of which is the developers haven’t been able to get a response from SEPA about the flooding risk in this area. We will be discussing this further with both Lomond Homes and Kingdom Housing to ensure the best outcome for the village and to minimise the flood risk for existing members of the community as well as the new homes.

The community council would like to further consult with the community about this development and have pencilled in the evening of the 24th March 2010 for a public meeting. It will start at 7:30pm in the Lumsden Memorial Hall.

Technorati Tags: FFAG, Freuchie, Freuchie Community Council, Kingdom Housing, Lomond Homes, SEPA

A tweak has been made to the Freuchie Mill weather station to bring it into line with our local SEPA rain collection station. Instead of the day being from midnight to midnight, it will now be 9am to 9am.

The computer running the data collection and website publishing will be switched over today. This may result in 30 minutes of downtime, during which there won’t be any updates, while we switch things over.

Technorati Tags: Freuchie, Freuchie Mill, SEPA, weather station

SEPA has issued a Flood Watch for Fife.

FLOOD WATCH

This statement was prepared on 19 November 2009 at 7:03 am.

A FLOOD WATCH has been issued for Fife and Clackmannanshire rivers.

A band of rain will stagnate over Clackmannanshire today with widespread totals of 25 to 40mm at low levels and 50 to 60mm over the higher ground. As the ground is already saturated localised flooding is expected.

This FLOOD WATCH is now in force until further notice.

Please continue to keep an eye on the situation in your area and listen to local radio and television for further information.

The Met Office has also issued an Advisory of Severe or Extreme Weather for Fife that covers today and tomorrow:

There is a moderate risk of severe weather affecting many western parts of Britain. During Thursday very wet and windy conditions are expected at times with widespread rain and gales in places with winds gusting around 60 MPH. Rain will be heavy at times, especially over windward hills and mountains. Rainfall accumulations of 30 to 50mm are expected through the whole period with locally over 80mm mainly across higher ground.

Issued at: 0645 Thu 19 Nov

The weather forecast over the next 36 hours isn’t too good. Ensure you are prepared to deploy flood defences and you have moved all valuables, and anything else you can’t afford to lose, to an upstairs room or attic.

For those of you who been following our Twitter account, you may have noticed Freuchie Mill residents were heading to Cupar to collect sandbags to dam off Freuchie Mill Road and to fully protect the few homes that haven’t yet got flood doors. We got there to discover Fife Council would rather bring them out to us on this occasion.

FFAG committee members have also inspected sites around the village and further afield to ensure we have a handle on potential flooding. You may well have seen us out at 5am touring the village.

We have discovered the water draining off the railway is causing flooding at the chicken farm, water that ultimately ends up at Freuchie Mill.

Technorati Tags: Cupar, FFAG, Fife Council, flood, flooding, Freuchie, Freuchie Flood Action Group, Met Office, SEPA

SEPA has issued a Flood Watch for Fife:

FLOOD WATCH

This statement was prepared on 13 November 2009 at 6:57 pm.

A FLOOD WATCH has been issued for Fife and Clackmannanshire rivers.

Heavy rainfall is expected this evening and into the early hours of Saturday. 25-30mm is forecast with 50mm possible on high ground.

Localised flooding from surface water and small watercourses is possible.

This FLOOD WATCH is now in force until further notice.

Please continue to keep an eye on the situation in your area and listen to local radio and television for further information.

The heavy rainfall has started in Freuchie. There are going to be a lot of Freuchie residents having a restless night tonight!

Technorati Tags: flood, flooding, Flood Watch, Freuchie, SEPA

Nearly missed an important Scottish Government press release issued on the 2nd November 2009 following the devastating floods throughout Scotland on the 1st November 2009.

02/11/2009

Commenting on the floods that have hit parts of Scotland over the past 24 hours, Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham said:

"Once again we have seen the misery and destruction flooding can cause. Our thoughts are with those whose lives and livelihoods have been affected by the overnight floods. I have asked to be kept fully informed of developments and will be keeping in touch with the councils affected. I’d like to thank all those who have again responded so quickly and effectively to minimise the impact of the floods.

24-hour Floodline
0845 988 1188

"Climate change is clearly happening on our doorsteps and flooding events such as these are likely to occur with increasing frequency. Everyone needs to be aware of the increased risks and, as we have seen in the last 24 hours, that doesn’t just apply to those living in areas where there is a history of flooding.

"Through SEPA we are continuing to invest in flood awareness and flood warning schemes to try and minimise the impact flooding has on families and businesses. I launched the latest SEPA awareness campaign only last Friday.

"We also need to take radical steps to tackle our carbon emission levels and to ensure communities get the protection they need, which is why we have recently pushed far-reaching climate change and flooding legislation through Parliament."

See it here.

Fine words and an admirable sentiment but we need to see more funds and thereafter further proactive action out on the frontline of flooding!

Technorati Tags: climate change, flood, flooding, Roseanna Cunningham, Scottish Government, SEPA

The Met Office has issued a “Flash Warning of severe or extreme weather”:

Rain will spread northwards across southern and central Scotland during this evening and right through into tomorrow morning becoming heavy at times with totals of 25 to 30mm generally but with 50mm possible over the high ground. The public are advised to take extra care and refer to the latest Scottish Environment Protection Agency Live Flood Warning Information.

This warning is in effect from 9pm tonight until 10am tomorrow morning.

SEPA has no flood warning in force for Fife so far.

Standby your sandbag and grab some sleep now!

Technorati Tags: flash warning, flood, flooding, Met Office, Scotland, SEPA