- Environment Minister is considering measures to protect Island from future floods and storms
- Deputy Steve Luce said that climate change was happening and that Jersey had to prepare
- Should Jersey spend money to protect businesses along the seafront from flooding? Take our poll below
MORE flood defences could be installed along St Helier’s seafront to help protect businesses from the increasing threat of storm surges, the Environment Minister has said.
During a climate change seminar this week, environmentalists warned that town businesses – including finance firms – were under increasing risk of coastal flooding caused by storm surges – increases in the sea level caused by offshore storms.
A large surge in 2008 caused extensive damage to the sea wall along St Aubin’s Bay and flooding in several areas and such events are expected to become more severe as global temperatures increase and cause more violent weather systems.
Deputy Steve Luce, who attended the seminar, is now looking at measures to protect the Island from further – and potentially worse – floods, and the protection of St Helier is to be a priority. ‘Climate change is happening. Fortunately it is happening slowly but the danger of having long-term problems is putting them off,’ he said.
‘There is a perceived threat to the business sector in St Helier but we are looking at the risk and taking it very seriously. Our capital will need to be one of the main areas that we will look at when it comes to sea defences, if for no reason other than it has been flooded at irregular intervals in the past decades.
‘We will also be monitoring closely the other parts of the sea wall that could prove vulnerable.’
Deputy Luce explained that one of the first measures being undertaken was a project to raise the sea wall at Beaumont and further measures elsewhere were being considered.
‘We will be looking at all forms of flood defences and will endeavour to incorporate measures into the States’ master plan,’ he said. ‘With regards to planning, people will need to get used to the idea they will now sometimes be asked to consider factors such as moving electricals onto a higher level to protect from flooding.’
He added: ‘We are going to get stuck into this because it is important that we make a start now.’
- Storm surges are caused by areas of offshore low pressure and winds generating bulges of water which surge towards the coastline.
- Jersey is most prone to storm surges when areas of low pressure move in from the Atlantic bulges of water coming in from the ocean build up further as they are squeezed into the English Channel.
- The worst recorded storm surge in Jersey (1.67 metres high) happened during the Great Storm of 1987. However, it happened during a neap [small] tide, and was barely noticed.
- The storm surge of 2008, which caused extensive damage and flooding in Jersey, was 1.2 metres high.
- The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that sea levels will rise by 50 cm during the next century. It also predicts that storm surges will increase in size by 50 cm over the same period.
- Increasing temperatures and rising levels of moisture in the atmosphere are predicted to cause more storm surges around Europe.[/breakout]
