Flooding
Globally, 200 million people live on coastal floodplains and about $1 trillion worth of assets lie within 1 metre of mean sea level. Over 1.2 billion people globally live within 100km of the coast and less than 100m above mean sea level, the area most directly affected by changing sea levels. Increased flood frequency or severity in these vulnerable regions would impact on economic and social systems. The coastal flood warning system for the UK was established as a direct result of the worst natural disaster to affect the country in recent times - the 1953 North Sea storm surge. Storm surges and high tides are critical components of total sea level during coastal flood events. Together they may exceed coastal defence thresholds directly, or raise the still water level such that storm wave action can cause significant overtopping or breaching.
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Storm surges and coastal flooding
Storm surges are created when strong winds push water up against a coastline. Low atmospheric pressure associated with weather systems causes the sea level to rise even further. A storm surge in the North Sea can raise the average sea level by 2-3 metres over a large area. Serious coastal flooding often occurs when storm surges coincide with large spring tides. A storm surge was responsible for the worst natural disaster to affect the UK in modern times. During the night of 31 January 1953, coastal flooding caused the loss of 307 lives in East Anglia. The same event was responsible for a further 1795 fatalities in the Netherlands. The disaster prompted the British government to install the Thames Barrier. The Dutch commissioned a vast coastal defence project called The Delta Works.Read more →
