Facts and figures about the Great Flood of 1953
Sixty years ago tonight one of the worst peacetime disasters in Britain was unfolding around the coast of East Anglia. High tides combined with strong winds and a deep area of low pressure in the North Sea caused a storm surge which brought huge waves crashing into coastal communities.
More than three hundred people were killed in Norfolk, Suffolk, Lincolnshire and Essex on the night of 31st January/1st February 1953.
- 32,000 people were evacuated from the flooded areas
- 160,000 acres of land were inundated with sea water and not usable for several years
- The damage was estimated at £1.2 billion at today's prices
- The storm surge exceeded 5.6 metres or 18.4 ft above normal sea level
Click here for more information on the 1953 floods from the Met Office.
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