East coast flood 1953

East coast flooding - 60 years on

31 January 2013

In January 1953, exceptional weather conditions meant many people experienced severe flooding in low lying areas of East Anglia and the Thames Estuary. Sixty years on, the Met Office can now forecast this type of storm accurately up to five days ahead.

A combination of high spring tides, storm surge, winds and very large waves resulted in sea defences being overwhelmed in some locations, leading to extensive flooding. In England, 307 people were killed in the counties of Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex. Nineteen were killed in Scotland, while 1,800 people lost their lives in the Netherlands.

Share this page

In brief