Dealing with Unexpected Music Festival Site Flooding.

A music festival site that suffers from unexpected flooding can threaten safety, damage to property and ruin the organiser's reputation. Although most organisers will carefully select sites with no known flood risks, there is an increase in extreme weather conditions that can have unexpected results. How can organisers mitigate the impact of unexpected site flooding.

An increase in extreme weather occurrences is impacting music festivals situated on greenfield sites where flooding can be one of the most disruptive and dangerous events. No amount of forward planning can totally prevent disruption from unexpected flooding, so organisers must prepare and implement contingency plans for any eventuality.

Site Surveys and Planning.
When selecting a site for a summer music festival organisers always instigate a site survey using specialists who can assess likely risks. Ideally sites on elevated land away from known flood plains and rivers are preferred. Additional factors to consider are the site’s natural drainage and ground water levels as an indicator of likely flooding. A risk assessment should determine the likelihood of flash flooding and nearby river overflows. Even where the risk is considered small, a good site design will place key infrastructure on elevated ground along with the installation of temporary drainage systems, raised cabling and walkways. The planning process should include flood response procedures with clear evacuation routes and if well-rehearsed can mean that the event can continue even after a heavy rainfall incident. As the festival's live dates approach, organisers should be using real time weather monitoring to get hydrological forecasting and flood warning alerts.

Causes of Unexpected Flooding.
When assessing a potential festival site, historical data may indicate that the chosen site has never flooded in recorded history. However, this does not guarantee that unusual weather can cause unexpected flooding. A combination of extreme weather events and poor water management infrastructure by local government departments or water companies can contribute to a severe flooding event. The management of water and flood prevention measures varies enormously between different countries. Extreme rainfall can be caused by thunderstorms that produce large volumes of rain in a short period or where slow-moving weather systems hover over a festival site producing continuous rain for several days. Whilst most sites may be able to handle some surface water accumulation, poor drainage systems can cause severe damage and lead to deep mud (the familiar festival quagmire) hindering festival-goer and vehicle movement. Even if there is heavy rainfall some distance away, it can impact rivers and streams causing excess water to flow downstream. This can cause rivers to overflow or change their course, and in extreme cases lead to flash flooding, which is the most dangerous scenario because there is little or no warning of rapid water movement. Other less common causes can come from local burst water mains, agricultural irrigation failures and unexpected reservoir releases of large volumes of water.

Implementing Urgent Real Time Actions.
An ongoing assessment of water build up by festival operations staff is essential to determine what measure to implement and when. The priority should always be safety first, which may require performances to be suspended, monitoring of electrical systems, and establishing safe evacuation routes and shelter locations. In addition, security staff may be deployed to protect property and assist with safe crowd flows. Festival site operations managers should establish a flood assessment team who can accurately assess water depth, flow rates, ground stability, vehicle access routes, and the structural integrity of any temporary structures. Water and electricity are a dangerous combination, so key decisions will need to be made about whether or not to shut down main power generators and utilise small backup generators situated in elevated dry positions. During any severe flooding incidents, the organisers should have effective communications in operation so that key messages and announcements can be sent to festival-goers, staff and volunteers appraising them of the flooding situation and actions to be taken. Campsites and sanitation facilities can become inundated with flood water causing property damage and increasing contamination, creating post event waste collection challenges. Vehicle car parks can be subject to the buildup of deep mud during flooding and organisers must prioritise site exists for emergency vehicles at all times. During site flooding there can be an increase in medical incidents with people suffering from slips and falls, hypothermia, water contamination or mental distress so it is essential that medical facilities continue to operate, preferably from elevated locations.

Damage Assessment.
If a festival site is subject to severe flooding, organisers need to make quick assessments of any damage and decide if the event can continue or needs to be cancelled. Detailed inspections will usually be required for stages, pathways, vehicles access, sanitation systems, fencing and lighting infrastructure for example. If everything is considered to be safe to operate, the event may continue. If the event is cancelled, it is likely that organisers will make an insurance claim against damages. This requires them to fully document the measures they put in place before the event, the timeline of flooding incidents along with photographic evidence, and a comprehensive list of damaged equipment that has been lost. Not all insurers will settle a claim and can depend on the nature of any flooding which can include natural disasters or negligence of a third party, for example.

For festival organisers planning their next event using a software management platform like Festival Pro gives them all the functionality they need manage every aspect of their event logistics. The guys who are responsible for this software have been in the front line of event management for many years and the features are built from that experience and are performance artists themselves. The Festival Pro platform is easy to use and has comprehensive features with specific modules for managing artists, contractors, venues/stages, vendors, volunteers, sponsors, guestlists, ticketing, site planning, cashless payments and contactless ordering.

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