JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. This content downloaded from 129.96.252.188 on Tue, 06 Oct 2015 13:50:02 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions THE EAST COAST FLOODS JANUARY 31 -FEBRUARY I 1953 J. A. STEERS The floodingwhich took place at so many places on the east coast between the Tees and Dover on the night of 31 January 1953 was serious both to life as well as to property, whether houses or land (Fig. 1). It is estimated that 206,161 acres * were definitely flooded (and possibly another 11,732), and that 307 people lost their lives. It is impossible to minimize this disaster, but nevertheless it is right to realize that the results might have been far more serious. We are more than fortunate in that the rivers, particularly those flowing through the fenlands were not in flood; we were fortunate too in that the surge did not occur at the top of the tide and, what is of still greater significance, did not occur on a high spring tide.2 The predicted tides for January 31 were 1-3 feet less?according to locality?than can occur at other times of the year. There is little doubt that if the surge had occurred under conditions of a high spring tide and flooded rivers, the whole of the Fens, and other similar places, would have been submerged, mainly by fresh water.
Surges are not uncommon, but it is only of comparatively recent years that they have been investigated.It is a matter of great regret that Dr. R. H.Corkan, who had studied the subject more fully than anyone else in this country, died a young man, only a few years ago. The account he gave of the surge on 8 January 1949, and of the conditions under which it was generated, are applicable in a remarkable way to the surge of 31 January 1953. On the other hand, the violence in 1953 of the storm in the northern part of the North Sea was exceptional. The devastation of the forests in north-eastern Scotland moreover and the abnormally high northerly winds in the Shetland-Orkney area meant that, despite the far less disastrous wind action in the southern part of the North Sea, there was very rough water?far more so than is usually associated with such north-westerly, or north-north-westerly winds, as prevailed.In this paper no account is given of the profound damage that occurred in Holland. The surge which travelled southwards along our east coast later turned and moved northwards along the coast of the Low Countries, where it was accompanied by an on-shore wind in which occasional gusts exceeded 90 miles per hour.3 It needs but little imagination to understand what 1 I am particularly indebted to Dr. E. C. Willatts and his colleagues in the Ministry of Housing and Local Government who gave great help not only with the maps but also with the photographs ...
