Events held across East to mark 70 years since 1953 North Sea flood
307 people were killed when a storm surge hit the East of England
Last updated 31st Jan 2023
Events are being held across the East of England to mark exactly 70 years since the 1953 North Sea flood, one of Britain's worst natural disasters.
307 people were killed across Norfolk, Suffolk, Lincolnshire and Essex when a high spring tide combined with a storm over the North Sea, causing the water to rise by 5.6 metres about the average sea level in places.
Floodwaters also inundated parts of eastern Scotland, as well as Belgium and the Netherlands.
A number of ships caught in the storm on the North Sea were also lost, along with their crew.
The flooding forced 30,000 people from their homes across England and Scotland, causing £50m worth of damage in 1953 prices (approximately £1.5bn today).
41 people were killed in Felixstowe alone when the water broke through the sea wall and overwhelmed pre-fabricated homes in the Orford Road and Langer Road areas.
In Canvey, Essex, almost the entire island was inundated with the loss of 58 lives. Another 37 were killed in Jaywick.
In Norfolk, Hunstaton was hit especially hard with the loss of 31 lives, including 16 US service personnel who were staying in the town.
King's Lynn saw a fifth of the town underwater, with the loss of 15 lives.
Events have been organised across the East of England to remember the flooding.
A 'procession of light' is planned in Felixstowe tonight (January 31) to remember the people who died.
A memorial service was held in Hunstanton earlier this week, with flowers laid at a memorial commemorating the deaths in 1953.
A new exhibition has been organised by the Jack Rose Old Lowestoft Society to look back on how the town was affected.
It features poems, stories, books, speakers and even prayers for those who passed away.
Chris Brooks was just 8 years old at the time of the floods in Lowestoft.
"I distinctly remember loaves of bread and tubs of butter and margarine, all floating around and I remember thinking "well that's dreadful, they've lost everything from their pantry and everything that they needed to eat".
"This was 1953 and food was fairly scarce.
"People weren't very rich to buy stuff, they sort of existed as you went on, earning a bit of money during the day and then buying your provisions.
"So then to see all this stuff wasted, that left an impression on me."
The following day Chris and his father went toward the beach.
"He (my father) took me around to the promenade, over the bridge, because at that time there was no water on the beach.
"...There was just a load of wreckage on the beach and the waves were still crashing over, even in low tied, so it was still pretty hairy still and windy still. A force 8 Gail going on."
Phillip Mummery, a member of the Jack Rose Old Lowestoft Society said:
A stand at 1953 Flood Exhibition in Lowestoft at the Crit
A stand at 1953 Flood Exhibition in Lowestoft at the Crit
"Although there were no deaths in Lowestoft, that's not entirely true, one lady told us her Grandfather was a fisherman who passed away, and it affected the whole family."
"Thousands of livestock died, a train driver said he was going along the tracks and he could see all the animals overturned with their legs in the air and they were bloated from the gas."
"The flood entered a local factory and overturned hundreds of heavy barrels filled with pickled fish, the barrels were banging into people's houses and breaking windows and things."
"The waves were so loud, you could hear them crashing against the shore."