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Pitchcare  


Recent long range weather forecasts are suggesting extended periods of heavy rain, with flooding likely. We can almost hear you saying “here we go again”, but Mother Nature is no respecter of previous victims or, indeed, new ones!


      The extent of the damage will be dependent on


the depth of the floodwater and how long it has prevailed. You will need to be mindful that, in some cases, you may be dealing with effluent and sewage waste that may have been brought in by the flooding. If that’s the case, you will need to consult your local authority and/or Environment Agency for advice or help to clear this debris. If you have a lot of surface material on your


ground, it may pay to get it analysed to ascertain its properties and make-up; this will help you understand what you are dealing with. Take some samples and send them to a soil lab for analysis. Once the water begins to subside, take the opportunity to disperse any residual silts by dragmatting whilst the water is still on the ground, allowing it to disperse off site. Any remaining debris will need to be removed by brushing, sweeping or vacuuming. You do not want to allow a layer of silt to


compromise your rootzone; there are various ways to remove, dilute or integrate this material into your soil profile. This can be achieved by brushing, scarifying or using aeration equipment over the course of the year. You should have notified your insurance


company as soon as the floods took hold, keeping records of dates and times and recording any damage being caused. Ideally, you should have taken plenty of pictures of your facility whilst in flood and, possibly, recorded the depth of the water. Once the floodwater has gone, take more pictures of any damage caused by the floods. These will help in your claim compensation. As with most situations, you always learn from


your experiences, and there is much you can do to help reduce the risk of flood damage and mitigate its impact when it occurs. Sport England has produced a set of information sheets and a downloadable template for clubs and facility managers to help them find out whether their facilities are at risk of flooding and, if so, how to develop a flood plan and other strategies that will help reduce the impact of flooding.


154 I  The guidance documents include:


- How to plan ahead - What to do to minimise the impact of future flooding of sports facilities


- Developing a club flood plan - Making sure everyone knows what to do in a flood


- A flood plan template - Flood resilient design - How to make sports facilities more resilient to flooding


- What to do to minimise the impact of flooding following a flood alert


- After the flood (buildings) - How to recover from a flood safely and quickly


- After the flood (pitches and courts) - How to recover from a flood safely and quickly


- The ECB has also produced flood relief case studies which can be viewed on their website


It is also important to keep up to date with any news or bulletins from the Environment Agency.





• Finding out if your facility is at risk of flooding is easy to do and will help you to begin the flood planning process. One in four sports clubs are at risk of flooding in the UK


• Planning ahead enables you to decide what to do before a flood. This will help you to limit damage, as well as the cost of flooding, and allow the sports facilities to be back in use as quickly as possible


• Localised flooding often occurs because of poorly maintained ditches and culverts. By conducting regular maintenance of your drainage system, and working with landowners and local authorities to ensure they do the same, you can help reduce the risk of localised flooding





Speak to your local council and some of the older members of your club as they will have a historical perspective of flooding on and around your ground.


1 


So that you have as much time as possible, you should sign up for flood alerts from the Environment Agency


2 


So that you and everyone else at your club know what to do when a flood is imminent, you should develop a club flood plan and then test it


All key personnel should have a copy of the plan and you should also put a copy on the club noticeboard and website so that the whole club can be aware that a flood plan is in place


3 


Speak to your insurers about flood insurance and ensure that you understand what cover you have and what your responsibilities are


The insurers will expect you to take all reasonable steps to reduce the impact of any flood and, in addition, they will have specific requirements for the club to meet should a flood occur


4  


Whilst it is impossible to completely flood- proof your building or sports facilities, there are many things you can do to minimise damage and get the sports facilities back in use as quickly as possible


5 


At the end of the season, move expensive equipment out of the way of any flood


This includes vulnerable electrical equipment in the clubhouse, as well as expensive/critical grounds maintenance equipment that would be affected by any flood





Various flood information sheets have been produced by Sport England and the governing bodies of sport. www.sportengland.org search for ‘floods’.


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