A descriptive analysis of the emergency response to the 2013 flood incident in Suffolk, UK - A study in theory and practice

Abstract: Over the past decade, flooding has been a great issue for several countries in Europe. With the movement of people and assets to flood prone areas, consequences due to flooding are increasing. Coping with this problem requires an effective response to flood risks. Therefore, this work has aimed to describe the emergency response to the 2013 flood incident in Suffolk, UK. This, in order to provide valuable input to the ongoing research project on flood risk management in Sweden called SUrF – Sustainable Urban Flood Management. The researchers have achieved this aim by describing both the actual-, as well as the intended emergency response. Here, the actual response refers to how the response went in practice, whilst, the intended response refers to the response as described in response plans. The actual response was described using interviews with participating actors and by performing a Social Network Analysis. Further, the intended response was described by analysis of existing response plans and by interviews with emergency planners in Suffolk. This have resulted in a thorough description of the response with, for instance Social Network Graphs showing the flow of communication amongst actors that were active in the response. Comparisons between the actual and the intended response showed that patterns of the structural framework described in response plans were also present in the social network graphs presenting the actual response. However, results showed that inconsistencies were present as well. Finally, it is the belief of the authors that this study enables for further comparison and analysis to be made.