Exercise Watermark
In March 2011, government departments, agencies, emergency responders and communities will be involved in one of the biggest emergency exercises to take place in England and Wales. It will test the country’s response to groundwater, surface water,reservoir, river and coastal flooding.
The likelihood of flooding is very real, especially for people and families who live in areas of high risk.
Following the floods in 2007, Sir Michael Pitt was asked by the
government to conduct an independent review into the emergency. His
report made 92 recommendations. One of which was to hold a national
exercise to test the arrangements put in place by emergency
responders to respond to severe flooding. This is Exercise
Watermark.
Led by Defra and the Welsh Assembly Government and delivered by the
Environment Agency, the exercise will take place from 4 -11 March
2011.
Exercise Watermark will look to make sure everyone is able to work together quickly and effectively in case of a real flooding emergency. The exercise will put all our existing emergency plans to the test.
What we are doing in Cheshire:
On the 8th March Cheshire Local Resilience Forum are holding
table top exercises at Local Authority Emergency Centres that will
test arrangements across Cheshire to respond to wide area tidal and
fluvial flooding. The exercise will also look at the recovery
element of flooding that occurred.
For more information on Exercise Watermark you can visit the
website www.exercisewatermark.co.uk.
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