Storm Arwen review

Earlier this year (2022) we asked about your experiences of the storm and your thoughts about how the response could have been improved.

Background

Storm Arwen hit the north of England on 26 November 2021, causing significant damage and power cuts which affected the county for several days.

What we consulted on

We were reviewing the response to the storm across County Durham and identifying what lessons may be learnt to improve resilience, planning and emergency response for future incidents.

Have your say

The closing date for the survey was 5.00pm on Friday 18 March 2022.

What's the latest?

We had 234 responses to the survey from members of the public. Thank you to all those who took part.

These responses were considered alongside those of officers who responded to the incident, elected Members, local community organisations and parish councils.

The review has now been completed and a plan, including several recommendations on how agencies will work together in future, has been agreed by the Council's Cabinet. The plan includes the following actions:

Review and expand community resilience across the county;
Improve incident planning and preparedness through emergency planning, training and exercises, including for councillors;
Review emergency response resources and establish qualifying criteria for future incidents;
Review communication and information sharing during incident response;
Develop a protocol for the activation and use of council staff during an incident;
Review strategic, tactical and operational decision making and governance.

You can read more in the Cabinet report (Item 8 on the agenda).