Flooding on the East Coast of England
UK flood defences praised for saving lives and
property on east coast
Huge storm and tidal surge pass without major destruction despite water rising above
levels of 1953 great flood
Flooding on Newcastle's Quayside after the worst storm surge since 1953.
Photograph: David Whinham/Demotix/Corbis
Britain's flood defences and flood warnings that led to thousands of people leaving
their homes in the face of record-breaking high tides along the east coast have saved
lives and property, according to the Environment Agencyand police.
Although two people died on Thursday in fierce storms, which disrupted large parts of
the country, overnight flooding from coastal surges was not as bad as expected.
But Owen Paterson, the environment secretary, warned that the crisis was not over.
"Conditions like this only occur in some places every 500 years, so it's good that over
800,000 properties were protected by our flood defences," said Paterson after
chairing a meeting of the government's Cobra emergency committee at 8am on
Friday to assess the situation.
"I would stress that this is not over. There will still be exceptionally high tides today
and tomorrow, and I would urge everybody to pay very close attention to advice from
the Environment Agency and also to follow instructions from the police, local
government and emergency services."
The Environment Agency said that in some places on the east coast sea levels were
even higher during Thursday's storm than they had been in 1953, when a similar
flood claimed thousands of lives. But this time flood defences were much more
effective, Jason Wakeford, an Environment Agency spokesman said.
"The worst effects were in darkness overnight, so it is too soon to assess the overall
picture. But several thousand properties have been affected in the biggest coastal
event of the last 60 years and the warnings we issued were in line with that risk," said
Wakeford.In Hemsby, Norfolk, five homes slid into the sea, and three more were
teetering on the edge. Robin Adams, the owner of one property, which he rented out,
watched it fall over the cliff at 8.30pm on Thursday. "In half an hour the sea had lifted
the bungalow up and folded it over and carried it away," he said.
There were delays and cancellations for rail passengers and problems for motorists
caused by debris and flooded roads. In some areas, such as Boston in Lincolnshire,
schools were closed. On Friday morning 27 severe flood warnings signalling danger
to life remained in place across northern England, East Anglia, the Midlands and the
south-east, along with 140 flood warnings and 63 alerts, including in north and south
Wales, saying people should be prepared for flooding. Another 77 warnings and
alerts have been removed over the past 24 hours. Most flood warnings
inScotland had been lifted on Friday.
Wakeford, the Environment Agency spokesman, said: "Some 800,000 properties
have been protected by the defences put in place in the last six decades and we
have issued 120,000 warnings to individual properties.
"It is quite clear from those numbers that events like this are hugely dangerous – the
1953 flood claimed thousands of lives so alerts and warnings are very important to
prevent such a disaster happening again."
The Thames Barrier faced the biggest tide since it opened in 1982 and will be closing
again later on Friday after being shut overnight and reopened. Norway, Denmark and
Germany were also hit by the storm. In Hamburg, Germany's second-biggest city, the
water rose about four metres (13ft) above average flood levels on Friday.
Northumbria police tweeted: "Early indications are that the tidal surges in our area
this morning are less than what we saw yesterday." Essex police said the county had
escaped the worst of the weather.
Charlie Hall, deputy chief constable of Norfolk police, said: "This has been a serious
incident which could have been far worse had it not been for the support and cooperation of the public and all the agencies working to keep people safe.
"In places, water levels were higher than those experienced in the flooding of 1953,
when many people lost their lives.
"Thankfully that has not been the case on this occasion, a combination of improved
defences in place and the concerted efforts of the community, the emergency
services and the agencies that have worked to support the evacuation and keep
people informed.
"The widespread evacuation was based on the high risk of severe flooding and was
essential in ensuring the public's safety. A night-time rescue operation would have
placed both the public and emergency services at far greater risk." Military personnel
from Colchester Garrison helped emergency services during the night in Maldon in
the county and most people evacuated from their homes had left rest centres, police
said.
More than 10,000 homes on the coast were earmarked for evacuation on Thursday
night after officials warned that lives could be at risk. In Boston, Lincolnshire, more
than 250 people were taken to evacuation centres, and 200 were reported to be at a
centre in Clacton-on-Sea in Essex.
Sandwich, in Kent, escaped lightly. About 20 homes closest to the Quay, where the
flood defences are currently being improved in a £21m scheme, are thought to have
suffered flooding when the defences were overtopped. About 178 properties were
evacuated with some residents spending the night in a local leisure centre. Strand
Street, one of the main streets in the centre of Sandwich, remains closed where
Environment Agency staff set up a temporary barrier. On Thursday night residents
queued for an allocation of 10 sandbags per house, some using borrowed shopping
trolleys to carry them. Householders have been warned the emergency is not over,
with a second high tide forecast for around
1pm
Homework: Read pages 310 to 311 and revise
your notes from today’s lesson.
5 Reasons:
Climate Change
Rain and swollen rivers
Storm Surge
High tides
Isostatic Recovery