Through this article we will detail out the steps to be undertaken to develop a plan to create storm gates that remain closed when it rains heavily to keep water from various water bodies away. Can such storm gates be really created to keep water from various water bodies including sea or oceans away and avoid it from reaching your land areas during heavy rains or flood times. Although, storm gates also termed as Flood gates seem important as regards the flood prevention, more so in coastal areas and also in various flood prone areas. But can this really save lives and property in a particular area during heavy rains or cyclones or storms or similar natural calamities?
For developing the flood gate plan, we need
to consider following stepwise process. Each paragraph details out a particular
stage in an orderly manner as regards the steps in developing a flood gates
plan.
First of all, by selecting areas that
are at risk of facing floods, which probably might be near a certain water
body like a lake or river or sea or ocean, analysing the nearness of a
land piece to such water bodies, the topography of that particular area, and
the historical flood patterns shall help in identification of the
vulnerable areas. One also needs to collect relevant data and information on
rainfall patterns, tide levels, storm surge heights and river flow levels
as this ensures and helps in assessing the severity and frequency of
potential floods in the particular area and in this way the Hydrological
and Meteorological data and information collected helps in assessment of future
flood dangers. To study the flood dynamics in a particular area one also
needs to analyse how various nearby water bodies in that area interact with
each other and with the land area during heavy rainfall or cyclones or storms
or similar water related natural calamities in that particular region. In
this way at the first place, in this process, the site assessment and the
flood risk analysis need to be done.
Second, one needs to decide upon what
kind of storm gates one needs to create and install and where in a particular
area these gates have to be installed. To block water inflow in coastal
areas during storms we can have the Tidal Surge Barriers installed, just
like the Thames Barrier in the United Kingdom and also like the similar ones
installed in Netherlands. To automatically close storm gates when water level
rises in nearby water bodies and automatically open the flood gates when water
recedes, we can have the Flap Gates or the Self-Regulating Gates created
and installed. To lift the storm gates manually or automatically in order to
block water inflow during flood times, we can have the Vertical Lift Gates
created and installed. To block or release water at times with the help of
various pumps we can use the Rotate Drum Gates that rotate to block or
release the water as the case may be. One needs to be careful that whatever
types of storm gates have been chosen to be created and installed should
really be able to stop or release large volumes of water at times of various
water related natural calamities. The effectiveness of such gates can only
be noticed if they are installed at a place which have been identified as an
important location from where water inflows into land areas which are nearing
one or more of the water bodies. In this way we need to place the
particularly chosen storm gate quite strategically to really benefit from its
proper use.
Third, we need to decide upon using
which corrosion resistant, high pressure resistant and sea water exposure
resistant materials one would design and engineer the making and installation
of the chosen type of the storm gates for a particularly chosen location.
One can consider using stainless steel or other composite materials in its
making. Efforts should be made in a direction to see to it that chosen storm
gates design enable the flood gates to adapt to the changing extreme weather
condition, like these should remain effectively working at times of regular
and normal rains and also at times of storms or cyclones or any other water
related natural calamities. Also, to make these work out in a friendly
manner we need to design these in such a manner that these can be operated
manually as well as automatically at times of changing needs. Caution needs
to be taken that these storm gates are designed in a way that water does not
accumulate behind these gates. For this purpose, one can use and include
various sorts of pumps or other sorts of drainage systems. This is how at
this stage one can focus on ensuring good gate strength and raw materials
used in its designing and engineering, to make these storm gates quite
flexible and good enough to drain water from areas behind or nearby such gates
thereby ensuring long life of such gates by applying good water drainage
systems while creating and implementing such storm gates.
Fourth, one can focus not just on creating
and installing storm gates but can rather think or decide upon developing a
more comprehensive flood defensive system by also having levees, dikes,
seawalls, various natural barriers like wetlands or dunes along with water
pumping stations to avoid inflow of excess water into land areas from
various water bodies.
Fifth, efforts should be made to have these
storm gates programmed in such a way that these close instantly as water
inflow reaches a particularly danger mark and for this we need to connect
these programmed storm gates with an automated weather and tide monitoring
system which will caution these storm gates and guide their actions. Also,
these storm gates should be programmed in a way that in times of emergency
when it would be difficult to open or close these gates their opening and
closing can be done as a remote operation from a distant place. Above all,
these chosen early warning and automated response systems should also timely
warn as an early warning the common residents and businessmen in flood or
similar water related natural calamity affected area to minimize loss to life
and property, if such loss can’t be avoided. However, we should be hopeful that
if things are worked out in a right manner then we can stop any such
losses.
Sixth, along with local bodies like
local emergency services, municipalities or municipal corporations,
environmental agencies, various charity organizations and local communities we
need to chalk out an emergency action plan for flood and similar water related
natural calamity like times, wherein we need to plan out how the common men
should respond to the calamity? What evacuation routes the common men can
follow to ensure saving his life and property? Where can he take shelter at the
time of such a crisis? What all actions need to be taken in response to the
happening calamity and fixing responsibility, power and liability for the same
amongst people and parties managing such a crisis.
Seventh, we have to evaluate how the
water related natural calamity might or flood or storm might adversely affect
the local wildlife, water flow and the coastal ecosystems, fish migrations and
wetlands. Once these adversities are evaluated, we need to find possible
solutions to mitigate such risks quite strategically, for example, we may
create a route for fishes to swim through certain routes when these storm gates
remain opened to save life.
Eighth, we must chalk out how much funds
we may need in both short and long term for the maintenance, improvement and
operation of these storm gates and related comprehensive created and installed
systems. Then we need to raise funds for the same and ensure that
the personnel at job are trained well enough that they can operate and
maintain storm gates with extended comprehensive installed systems running
properly. Above all, we need to ensure that this system is regularly
inspected, maintained, kept corrosion free and timely repaired mechanically.
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