Guidance

Lessons learned from extreme-weather emergencies on UK highways

Identifying the effects and impacts on the UK highway sector from extreme-weather events (2015 to 2020).

Documents

Preparedness, response and recovery: identifying lessons learned by the UK highway sector from extreme-weather emergencies (2015 to 2020)

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Details

As a result of extreme weather events, their effects and impacts on the UK highways network, the Department for Transport (DfT) commissioned research to identify any lessons that have been learned for ensuring the resilience of the highway network.

A specific time window, between the winter storms and floods of 2015 (Storms Desmond, Eva and Frank) and spring 2020 was investigated.

This period was chosen because events prior to the winter of 2015 had been reviewed and changes had been integrated from these reviews into guidance.

This research covers the following 9 areas:

  • multi-agency integrated emergency management (IEM)
  • the concept of stabilisation
  • resilient networks
  • the strategic road network (SRN), local highways interface
  • collaborative working, mutual aid and military aid
  • the role of ministerial groups: civil contingencies committee (COBR), lead government departments and the ministerial recovery group (MRG)
  • democratic institutions and community resilience
  • business continuity management (BCM), training and exercising
  • corporate memory and learning lessons

Updates to this page

Published 15 November 2021

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