On 30/01/2013 23:24, Dave Cornwell wrote:
MCC wrote:
On the night of 30/31 January 1953 there was a screaming gale of NW'ly
wind
around the Northern Isles which caused a storm surge down the North Sea
causing serious flooding along the East Anglia and Kent coasts and across
into the mainland Europe low-lying coastal countries accompanied by
considerable loss of life.
I was a 13 year old boy growing up in Orkney at the time and remember it
very well.
-------------------------------------
My friend was a six year old living on Canvey Island. His and my local
Newsapaper have a large spread on it and an interview with him. His
father was a fireman on the Island and it was only in recent years he
could talk about it and even then not some of the things he witnessed.
Of course it was a relatively small closely knit community. Some
incredible storiess in there and one of the underlying ones was the
number that died from the cold as well as drowning.
Dave, S.Essex


Britain's Worst Peace Time Disaster
An 18 foot storm surge over topped every defence there was.
307 people died
24,000 homes were damaged or destroyed
Over 30,000 people were evacuated

Start he
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Sea_flood_of_1953
and then put "1953 floods" into Google.

Really puts today's flooding into perspective. BBC Look East are doing a
series on it during their news programmes, and Inside Out (BBC East)
gave it a 10 minute slot on Monday. Surprised the TV companies haven't
commissioned a full 1 hour documentary on it. There's a memorial service
in Chelmsford Cathedral tomorrow (Thursday), along with special prayer
services along the east coast of England and Scotland at the places most
affected.

jim, Northampton