Flood Awareness drop-in event to be held in Weymouth

A flood awareness event is being held in Weymouth to help communities better prepare for future incidents of flooding

Author: Maria GreenwoodPublished 11th Jan 2022

Dorset Coast Forum are holding a Flood Awareness drop-in event for the residents of Melcombe Regis to discuss flooding issues in the area.

The Flood Awareness drop-in event will be held at The Park Community Centre, Chelmsford Street, Weymouth, DT4 7HR. Drop-in anytime between 4-6pm.

It's part of the ‘Building Resilience in Communities’, project or BRIC and is one of eight pilot schemes being run across the South of the UK – in Plymouth, Essex and Kent, and in the northern regions of France – in Oise, Eure, Val d’Authie and Finistere.

The aim is to create a guide and new tools and resources that can be used more widely in areas affected by flooding in these areas.

The drop-in event aim to listen to residents’ opinions and experiences on what the best outcomes would be for the community in terms of flood resilience.

Dprset Coast Forum say, "We want to include the Melcombe Regis community from the beginning, listening to their needs and building a picture of the best ways to adapt to the impacts of climate change. "

In Weymouth there are four main types of flooding risk:

• Tidal flooding via Weymouth Harbour

• Fluvial flooding via the River Wey

• Surface water flooding due to rainfall (exacerbated by tide-locking)

• Wave overtopping of the seafront

A spokesperson for Dorset Coast Forum said:

"Weymouth has many existing and long-established support networks as well as a strong sense of community. The aim is therefore to work alongside what is already in place and to respond to what the community wants and needs, through engagement, creating awareness, training and providing educational and informative tools and guidance."

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