MIKE LAYCOCK reports on the launch today of another new flood risk map for York and North Yorkshire.

IT'S LIKE waiting for the proverbial bus. You wait for years for new technology to come up with a state-of-the-art flood risk map ... then two come along in a week.

Last week, Norwich Union unveiled its new digital map of York, showing which areas were at risk of inundation if the River Ouse rose to various levels above normal.

Today, the Environment Agency was launching its own online flood map, claiming it to be the "most comprehensive, up-to-date and easily accessible map of flood risk".

The map, available at the click of a mouse on a computer and part of a £30 million investment programme, certainly has the advantage over the Norwich Union's in that it takes account of some flood defences.

However, while York's defences are shown in the map, the agency decided not to indicate which areas of the city were actually protected.

Spokesman Mike Dugher said this was because York is only guarded against a one in 75 years flood - less than the one in 100 years protection required by the agency nationally to feature in the maps.

He said people in an area of York would be able to go on to the website and see what level of risk it was considered to have. The map says the Leeman Road area is at moderate risk.

"Flood defences reduce, but do not completely remove the likelihood of flooding and can be overtopped or fail in extreme weather conditions."

The agency says it will enable homeowners and businesses in York, and other vulnerable communities in North and East Yorkshire, to see for the first time the level of risk for their area.

The map, which will be updated every three months as new information becomes available, will indicate whether the risk is considered "low", "moderate" or "significant."

The agency's North East area flood defence manager, Mark Tinnion, said the map would help people prepare if they were at risk.

He warned that flooding was likely to become more frequent because of an increase in extreme weather conditions linked to climate change.

"There are practical steps we can all take to reduce the impact of flooding - and that starts with being better informed," he said.

He advised people to use the map to find out if they were at risk, and decide what action they needed to take. "Don't leave it too late."

The flood risk maps can be seen by logging on to www.environment-agency.gov.uk/floodmap

Updated: 10:13 Thursday, October 07, 2004