Flooding - Worksheet 1 - Scottish · PDF file © Scottish Water 2005 1. Fascinating Facts 1 ... Water 2005 Flooding - Worksheet 5 1. False ... fresh water. 9. False

Aims

Flooding - Worksheet 1 - 5

© Scottish Water 2005www.scottishwater.co.uk/education

1. Fascinating Facts 1 - Flooding in Scotland2. Fascinating Facts 2 - Who does what3. Fascinating Facts 3 - Preparing for a flood4. Flood quiz5. Flood quiz answer sheet

• Fascinating Facts Sheets – these provide key information about flooding and the responsibilities of different agencies

in Scotland. • Flood quiz – this can be used as a pre / post test to check pupils

knowledge

Floodline, a telephone number, provide flood alerts.

SEPA flood warning duty officers are on stand by 24 hours a day all year round. They never close!

SEPA flood warning duty officers use weather forecasts, rainfall data and river level data from SEPA's river monitoring network and assess each day the likelihoodof flooding.

When it looks as if flooding is likely SEPA will issue a Flood Watch for the area. They will then keep looking carefully at the weather forecasts, rainfall and the river levels.

If the river levels reach an agreed height when a flood is a possibility SEPA will issue a Flood Warning for the area.

Once the danger of flooding is past they will issue an All Clear message.

Flooding happens after a long period of heavy rain or when there is a sudden downpour, sometimes called a flash flood. When this happens the drains and rivers can't move the amount of water quickly enough and rain spills over onto poorly drained land. The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) are the flood warning authority in Scotland and through

Fascinating Facts 1 - Flooding in Scotland


Flooding - Worksheet 1

LOCAL AUTHORITIES:• Clear ditches, road gullies and other open drains.• Manage flood prevention schemes.• Organise road closures. • Provide temporary shelter for people evacuated from their homes. • Organise the clean-up afterwards.

POLICE:• Save lives.• Rescue people.• Help evacuate people.• Stop people stealing from flooded houses.

FIRE BRIGADE:• Help pump water using fire engines.• Help evacuate people if asked by the police.• Help rescue people from trees and rooftops if asked.

WATER AUTHORITY:• Clear blocked drains and sewers.• Help clean up if sewers overflow. • Maintain water supply. • Repair burst pipes.• Control water released from reservoirs. • Help clean up afterwards.

A number of different organisations are involved with flooding and flood warning in Scotland.

SEPA as well as issuing the flood warnings also coordinate flood defences and flood rescue services with the Local Authorities, Police, Fire Brigade, Water Authority (e.g. Scottish Water) and other emergency services like the Ambulance Service and Air Sea Rescue helicopters.

Fascinating Facts 2 - Who does what?



owners should do if there is a danger of flooding.

Put valuable items and important documents upstairs or in a high place.• Move cars to higher ground.

• Warn neighbours in case they haven't heard the flood warning.

• Turn off gas, electricity and water supply to prevent an explosion.

• Unplug all electrical items so no one is electrocuted.

• Put plugs into sinks and weigh them down with something heavy to stop water coming up through the pipes.

• Block and seal doors, windows and airbricks with plywood, sandbags or metal

• Make emergency sandbags using old pillow cases, carrier bags or even tightsfilled with sand or earth.

Flooding is a natural process that can happen suddenly which is why families who live in areas of Scotland that may flood should be prepared because once the flood arrives there may not be time. In a flood a family might find that they have no lighting, heating or a telephone line.

Here is a list of things that SEPA suggest that home

Fascinating Facts 3 - Preparing for a flood



Fascinating Facts 3 - Preparing for a flood continued


Flooding - Worksheet 3 continued

• Prepare a family flood plan so you know where to go if you wake up and find the house is flooded.

• Make sure that there is an escape route in case water levels keep on rising.

• Move furniture away from walls, as this helps when drying your property later.

• Roll up carpets and rugs and put them upstairs.

• Leave inside doors open, or take them off and store them upstairs.

• Make up an emergency flood kit that holds a torch, battery or wind up radio, mobile phone, rubber gloves, Wellington boots, waterproof clothing, first aid kit and blankets.

• Prepare emergency food, warm clothes and other essential supplies, particularly for babies and young children.

• Put emergency food and clothes in sealed bags to keep them dry.

• Weigh down manhole covers to stop them floating away.



Are these statements True or False?

1. Scottish Water is responsible for operating the 'Floodline'. True or False?

2. If there is a risk of flooding the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) will firstly issue a flood watch. True or False?

3. The police are responsible for saving lives in a flood situation. True or False?

4. A family flood plan is a plan of the house showing where water might come into the house if it is flooded. True or False?

5. A flood kit is a container with sandbags and planks inside. True or False?

6. If a house might be flooded, valuable and precious things such as photographs should be put into the loft. True or False?

7. Gas, electricity and water should be turned off or disconnected if a house might be flooded. True or False?

8. Scottish Water is responsible for repairing flood damaged water mains and sewers. True or False?

Flood Quiz

Circle the answer.



9. To protect the car from a flood the owner should put it on the garage and lockthe doors.True or False?

10. Most home owners will use sandbags to stop flood water getting into their house.True or False?

Flood Quiz continued



1. False - The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) are responsible for operating the 'Floodline'.

2. True - They will do this first and then update the 'floodline' message and finally if necessary issue a flood warning.

3. True - They will be helped by the fire brigade and others but they have the responsibility for saving lives.

4. False - It is a plan of action so that a family know what to do if there is a flood.

5. False - It is a box or case that has essential items that will be needed if the house is flooded.

6 True - The loft is the best place but a bedroom might be ok as long as it is higher than the flood line. Important papers like birth certificates should be kept ina sealed bag.

7. True - Gas and electricity should be turned off or disconnected if a house might be flooded to prevent an explosion.

8. True - Scottish Water try to repair water mains and pipes as quickly as possible as it is important that families have access to fresh water.

9. False - They should move the car to higher ground where it should be safe. 10. True - Sandbags can be bought to fill and in an emergency may be made from

old pillow cases, carrier bags or even tights filled with sand or earth.

Flood Quiz - Answer Sheet

Aims

Materials

Method



• To help pupils to learn the essential items that a flood kit should contain and

to increase their knowledge and understanding of the importance of a flood kit.

• To prepare a flood kit information leaflet.

• A copy of Activity 1 for each pupil.

• Tell the pupils that SEPA recommend that every family who live in an area

that is at risk of flooding prepare a flood kit - a box or case that has essential

items that will be needed if the house is flooded.

• Hand out the Activity sheet and discuss.

• Allow sufficient time for pupils to complete the activity.

NB: This would be a suitable homework activity.

6 Activity 1 The McGreggor's Flood Kit

• Create an 'ideal' contents list for this family on a large sheet of paper from

the pupil's ideas

• Encourage pupils to speak to the Headteacher about how they could run



John and Anne McGreggor live with their three children Alexander (7), Kirsty (4) and Jamie (1) in Perthshire. They have moved to a new house in a village which is not too far from the River Tay. They have been told that if the river was ever to burst its banks then it is likely that the house will be flooded. They have been advised to prepare a flood kit - a box or case that has essential items in that will be needed if the house is flooded.Alexander and Kirsty were asked to bring some things that they thought they might need if the house was flooded. These have been put in a pile on the living room floor together with their mum and dad's and Jamie's things. There is not enough room in the box for everything.

Can you sort through the pile and decide what should go into the box?

Activity 1 - The McGreggor's Flood Kit

Mobile phone

Waterproof clothes

First aid kit

Candles

Playstation

Torch Baby food

Small radio Medicine

Blankets

Toys Books

Wellies

Nappies

FIRST AID KITFIRST AID KIT



What do they really need? Write your ideas in this empty box.

Activity 1 - The McGreggor's Flood Kit continued

Aims

Materials

Method



• To help pupils to learn the essential items that a flood kit should contain and

to increase their knowledge and understanding of the importance of a flood kit.

• To prepare a flood kit information leaflet.

• A copy of Activity 2 for each pupil.

• A4 scrap paper.

• Art materials.

• Computer Access.

• Computer graphics package.

• Divide the pupils into small groups.

• Hand out the activity sheet and discuss with the pupils.

• Allocate sufficient time for the design and production of the leaflet.

Each group should produce sufficient copies for distribution in the class.

• Pupils could send their designs to SEPA or alternatively you could invite a

member of SEPA staff to school to discuss their designs.

7 Activity 2 Flood Kit Information Leaflet



Take a piece of A4 scrap paper and try folding it in a number of different ways.Here are some examples:

In your group discuss what you think the contents of the leaflet should be and write your ideas on the continuation sheet provided.

You might find the SEPA website useful (www.sepa.org.uk).

A - for AttentionIt should be eye catching. The use of colours/graphics is important.

I - for InterestIt should be interesting to look at and be read quickly.

D - for DesireIt should make the people who read it want to prepare a flood kit.

A - for ActionIt should encourage the people who read it to prepare a flood kit.

Activity 2 - Flood Information Leaflet

Writing a leaflet.

1 2 3

Think about the layout of your leaflet:

- Will you use a separate page for each piece of information?

- What drawings and graphics will you use?

- Collect some leaflets from the local library to see how other people have designed a leaflet.

- You can always copy a good idea!

Your leaflet should try to create

Now that you have advised the McGreggor family on the contents of their flood kit, you have the oportunity to design a general leaflet for families to explain what a flood kit is, why it is important and suggest what the contents should be.



Activity 2 - Flood Information Leaflet Continuation Sheet

Documents

Flooding - Worksheet 1 - Scottish · PDF file © Scottish Water 2005 1. Fascinating Facts 1 ... Water 2005 Flooding - Worksheet 5 1. False ... fresh water. 9. False