2. Southampton Risks

Storms, gales and extremes of temperature (both hot and cold) all present challenges which may require a multi-agency approach to the response.

Throughout the city, primarily the following plans would be used:

SCC Major Incident Plan
SCC Rest Centre Plan
SCC Media Action Plan
SCC Emergency Traffic Plan
Department of Health Heatwave Plan
HA Operation Gridlock

In respect of flooding, the council have worked closely with the Environment Agency and others to assess the likelihood and impact of flooding and produced the SCC Flood Plan. The Flood Plan is available in the Emergency Plans.

The main areas within the city limits, potentially vulnerable to flooding are:

Fluvial:
Lord’s Hill to Millbrook along the Tanners Brook
Chandlers Ford to Swaythling along the Monks Brook
Mansbridge and Woodmill along the River Itchen

Coastal:
Southampton Docks and Ocean Village
Itchen Estuary

For more detailed information on local flood zones please visit the Environment Agency website.

If you are caught up in flooding please follow the advice of the emergency services.

Human health encompasses the threat of influenza pandemic/epidemic and other emerging infectious diseases. In most cases this will not be limited to the city and national or regional measures are likely. The risks from pandemic influenza to the nation as a whole remain high. In common with most other Category 1 Responders and responsible industry and businesses, we have plans to continue critical services in the face of such human health crises.

The Port Health Authority manages the controls on the inspection of imported foodstuffs and the health related issues associated with cruise liner operations.

Plans include:
SCC Influenza Pandemic Plan
SCC Media Action Plan
SCC Directorates and divisional business continuity plans

Structural includes matters such as land movement, reservoir or dam failure and bridge collapse, all of which may lead to casualties and economic impact.

The risk of such incidents in the city is not particularly high and existing plans are deemed adequate to cater for such eventualities, which if the outcomes were significant, would lead to support from others within the Local Resilience Forum. Plans used would include:-

SCC Major Incident Plan
SCC Rest Centre Plan
SCC Media Action Plan
SCC Emergency Traffic Plan
SCC High Rise Block Site specific plans
SCC Directorate emergency plans

There are no sites within the city which are subject to the Control of Major Accident Hazard (COMAH) Regulations. Such sites are those where larger quantities of chemicals or other dangerous substances may be created, stored or distributed. Examples are industries based around Fawley or activities at Marchwood.

Effects within the city from incidents at COMAH sites elsewhere, in particular airborne contamination or toxic release, would be dealt with by the emergency services in conjunction with the city council.

In such cases the following plans exist to be used:

SCC Major Incident Plan
SCC Rest Centre Plan
SCC Media Plan
City Centre Evacuation Plan

A communications/utilities failure is likely to be the smaller scale loss of utilities services which would just affect the city alone. Historically such outages are not uncommon; affect small areas, with services restored in a reasonable time frame. Where it was necessary to provide heating, shelter or food we use existing plans but look to the individual companies to make good expenditure involved. Where the emergency 999 system is at risk we will work with the emergency services to provide alternative means of contact or increased patrols through neighbourhood wardens.

The only time this applies to the city is when a nuclear powered submarine is berthed in the port. It is extremely unlikely that a reactor emergency would occur whilst the vessel was in the Port of Southampton although the Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2001 requires that a plan exist, notwithstanding the negligible risk. T here are no other nuclear reactors within the Southampton area.

In such cases the following additional plans exist to be used:

SCC Port of Southampton off-site Reactor Emergency Plan (SotonSafe)
RN PITS Distribution Operational Procedures
City Centre Evacuation Plan

Hampshire wide risks are assessed by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Resilience Forum Risk Assessment Group. T his considers potential social, economic, environmental and health impacts of government set risks on the Hampshire community.

The group have published the outcomes as a Community Risk Register (CRR).