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  • The 5th January 1991 event: video of impacts at Saltcoats, southwest Scotland

    The 5th January 1991 event: video of impacts at Saltcoats, southwest Scotland

    Photo by Oliver Clarke / CC BY 2.0 Storm ‘Undine’, one of the costliest winter storms, resulted in extensive and severe impacts in many parts of the UK. This event is ranked currently ranked 3rd in the SurgeWatch database, with a sea level return period of 134 years recorded at Portpatrick. Saltcoats, a small town on the west coast of North…

  • Are you at risk of flooding? Flood map for your area

    Are you at risk of flooding? Flood map for your area

    Here at SurgeWatch, we are working hard to develop and maintain our database of coastal floods. Are you interested in finding out if your area is at risk of flooding? You can find out using a flood map. Flood maps provide information on the risk of flooding from the sea (and also rivers). They can also contain information on coastal defences and the areas benefiting…

  • 27th June 2011: The English Channel meteorological tsunami

    27th June 2011: The English Channel meteorological tsunami

    By Ozgun Ozsoy Conditions associated with the UK’s extreme coastal sea levels and flood events (surges, waves and high tides) are not usually observed during the summer. However, a rare sea level event did occur in the English Channel four years ago today [27th June 2011], caused by a weather-related phenomenon known as a ‘meteorological tsunami’. Although a surge was observed at several sites along the…

  • Memories of the 'big flood' of 1953: BBC video with accounts from survivors

    Memories of the 'big flood' of 1953: BBC video with accounts from survivors

    Here is an interesting short video produced by the BBC that examines the ‘big flood’ of 31st January 1953 which severely impacted the UK east coast, 60 years on (at the time of production). Included in the video are insightful accounts from flood survivors, and footage and imagery taken at the time.  …

  • Dawlish railway: time-lapse for repair works following storm damages in February 2014

    Dawlish railway: time-lapse for repair works following storm damages in February 2014

    Earlier this year Network Rail released stunning footage of the two-month long repair works completed on the Dawlish railway line, where around 100 metres of defences were damaged during the storms in February 2014. The line, which is the only rail link to the remainder of Britain for south Devon and Cornwall, was closed for two months following the damages. The 5th February 2015 marked a one…

  • 1953 east coast flood - 60 years on

    1953 east coast flood - 60 years on

    Here is a fantastic info-graphic from the Met office, produced on the 60th anniversary of the 31 January – 1 February 1953 flood.   Source: metoffice.gov.uk…

  • What is a storm surge? Video by Shari Gallop.

    What is a storm surge? Video by Shari Gallop.

    Dr Shari Gallop is a research fellow in Ocean and Earth Science at the University of Southampton. In this video she describes what a storm surges is. A storm surge is a large scale and temporary rise in sea level caused by: (1) strong winds pushing sea water towards the coast where it ‘piles up’; and (2) low pressure at the centre of storms…

  • Historic Events: The storm of 7-8 December 1703.

    Historic Events: The storm of 7-8 December 1703.

    Written by Dr Matthew Wadey. The windstorm of 7-8 December 1703, is often referred to as the ‘worst storm to have ever hit Great Britain’. For example, catastrophe experts Risk Management Solutions (RMS), amongst others, consider the 1703 storm to be ‘the most damaging storm to have affected the southern part of Britain for at least 500 years’. It is a benchmark to which more recent…