TIDAL WAVE WARNING

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Tidal Wave Heading for England's East Coast Poses 'Extreme Danger to Life'

Sorry, my copy and paste itsn't working at the moment, check

http://www.drudgereport.com

for the rest of the article. The wave is expected to make landfall in the next 12 hours.

Guest

Liam, maybe you can give us some updates?

Tens of thousands of householders are today preparing for some of the worst coastal floods in decades.

Sea levels could rise up to 9ft this morning along part of the East Coast, putting lives at risk.

Sea defences in Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft could be breached around 7am, sending a torrent of salt water into the towns.

• Eight severe flood warnings issued by Environment Agency

• Surge expected to hit east coast in next 12 hours

• Police on standby to evacuate homes

• Dartford Creek and Thames barriers closed

Police and fire services were last night preparing to evacuate thousands of homes. Householders were stocking up on sandbags and emergency provisions.

The Norfolk Broads, Essex and northern Kent could also be hit, and the entire coast from Immingham in Humberside to Margate in Kent has been told to be on alert.

The Environment Agency, which issued eight severe flood warnings, last night said it was "gravely concerned" about the threat.

Gordon Brown called a meeting of the emergency Cabinet committee Cobra to prepare for his third major flood crisis since taking office in the summer.

The tidal surge is being caused by 50mph winds in the North Sea, an unusually high tide and an area of low pressure off the East Coast.

Simon Hughes, of the Environment Agency, said: "Great Yarmouth is very low lying and the surge is expected to hit at the same time as the high tide."

It is expected to measure almost 5ft above what is normally expected - but in the worst case, it could be more than 9ft higher.

Mr Hughes said the defences were almost 10ft high, "so it's going to be close and we are gravely concerned".

He added: "The most important thing that people can do is contact the Environment Agency's Floodline to see if they will be affected. If they are, they can move valuables upstairs, move their vehicles and ensure that their neighbours are safe."

The surge has echoes of the East Coast floods of 1953, when more than 1,000 people died.

"Things are very different now," said Mr Hughes. "We have flood defences, a warning system and the emergency services are well prepared and practice for floods."

Around 8,000 homes in Great Yarmouth could be at risk, along with 1,800 in Lowestoft.

Last night, locals were collecting sandbags from the council and preparing to barricade their homes.

Beth Manning, of Great Yarmouth police, said: "Evacuation is more than likely. We have been doing a lot of immediate work in Yarmouth."

Izzie Cunningham, of Lowestoft's Waterlane Leisure Centre, said: "The centre will be an evacuation centre."

Police warned residents to avoid travel, prepare to move upstairs by hoarding food, clothes, blankets and torches, and fill the bath and buckets with water for washing in case there is a loss of water supply.

Norfolk and Suffolk have six severe flood warnings between Winterton, Norfolk and Aldeburgh, Suffolk.

The warnings carry an Environment Agency alert stating: "Severe flooding is expected. There is extreme danger to life and property. Act now."

Five less serious flood warnings and 22 flood watches are in place around the East Coast. In Kent, the surge will peak around noon, but is not expected to be as severe.

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said: "There is a risk of flood defences being over-topped on the coast and in tidal rivers, especially in East Anglia, particularly the Norfolk Broads and the coast south of Great Yarmouth including Lowestoft, and areas south of this as far as the coast of Kent."

Call Floodline on 0845 988 1188 for the latest warnings

Subject: Re: TIDAL WAVE WARNING Thu Nov 08, 2007 6:49 pm

Good Grief, not a work about this on the news. Only OJ stuff.

Liam please let us know what is going on.

Guest

Looks like everything turned out well! Thank God!

Tidal surge sweeps past east coast of England - and surfers catch a wave
( Ian Nicholson/PA )

East Anglia breathed a sigh of relief after escaping severe flooding from the biggest tidal surge in over 50 years – allowing its more enterprising residents to get out and catch a wave or two.

Up to 7,500 people were evacuated from their homes along the east coast of England after the Environment Agency gave warning of “extreme danger to life and property” in coastal areas of Norfolk and Suffolk.

Around 500 spent the night at Caister High School, north of Great Yarmouth, including Jane Crowe, 38, and her children Luke, 5, and Jake, 3, who live near the town's pleasure beach. "It's been a nightmare," she told The Times. They've not slept, they've hardly eaten. I think next time I would rather drown."

Waters peaked at between 7am and 8am. But although, at 2.75 metres, the tidal surge was the greatest since one in 1953 that caused devastating floods in which 300 people died, it was still about 30cm lower than had been predicted yesterday.

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Officials said that there had been no reports of flood defences being breached although there had been some flooding of coastal roads because of the huge waves.

"The worst is over, but vigilance is still the keyword because even though the tides are going out the Norfolk Broads are a network of rivers and streams that are tidal-fed and there's always a delay before the river starts draining," said Adrian Westwood, an Environment Agency spokesman.

"We've had no reports of injuries or loss of life or flooded properties or businesses."

The risk of flooding saw dozens of schools closed for the day and roads and rail links shut. Temporary flood barriers were fitted during the night around an electricity substation in Great Yarmouth to protect power supplies.

But Norfolk Police advised evacuees this morning that they could head back home. “The peak has passed without major incident although there was localised flooding,” a spokeswoman for the force said.

The Dartford Creek and Thames barriers were closed last night to defend against the surge, although they are expected to be opened this afternoon and officials said there was no danger of flooding in London.

While thousands took shelter, a group of about six surfers took advantage of the high tide and North Sea surge to go wave-riding at Gorleston beach near Great Yarmouth.

John Mclellan, 19, a stock controller at a local hardware store, said: “The tide is very high so the conditions are pretty good – although the waves aren’t the biggest I’ve ever seen here. Hopefully we will be here most of the day.”

After chairing a meeting of Cobra, the Government's emergency planning committee, Gordon Brown said this morning that the Government was standing ready to help any local communities affected by the tidal surge along the east coast.

“Our first priority is to ensure people are safe, and that’s why over the course of yesterday and throughout the night we have been bringing in the helicopters, the sandbags, the preparations that are absolutely necessary so that people are safe,” he said.

“National government stands ready to help local communities with any difficulties that arise.”

Mr Brown thanked people for their co-operation in evacuating homes and businesses in the at-risk areas. “It’s too early to assess the damage that has been done,” he said. “I think it very important we make preparations when given warnings by the Environment Agency and Met Office."

The Dartford Creek and Thames barriers were closed last night to defend against the surge, the EA, although they are expected to be opened this afternoon.

Police officers and council representatives knocked on doors in high risk areas of Norfolk through the night, warning people to leave. By 2.30am they had visited around half the 7,500 properties at risk, including all those in the highest risk zone.

Among those who spent the night at Caister High School were Olesja Antale, 28, who was evacuated with her husband, Khawar Khan, 32 and their nine-week old baby Daanyal.

"We came here last night at about ten o'clock. Police officers came round and said we've got to get you out because of the baby. We live on the top floor in between the seafront and the river and they were worried about the chil," she said.

"We just brought everything for an emergency, baby clothes, baby food and drink. It's not been easy. I've had to change him on this table in the canteen."

George Denby, head teacher at the school, was told last night that he would have to accommodate 300 people. By the early hours of this morning he had taken 500. "It's a few too many but we've squashed them in," he said. "The people have been absolutely fantastic."

Subject: Re: TIDAL WAVE WARNING Tue Nov 13, 2007 2:06 pm

Haha, I live nowhere near those places thank God.

So you didn't need to be concerned, I probably wouldn't give enough info about it because I don't watch the news.

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