One week on: Tidal storm’s aftermath on Norfolk’s coastline

One week on from the extreme tidal surge that battered the eastern coast of the UK, our team has been hard at work assessing the damage.

Photo courtesy of CamroVision Photography

In the East of England, many of our properties were affected by the tidal surge, from high tides at Essex coastal properties such as Northey Island and Pin Mill to surges that flooded the marshes at Orford Ness and shifted huge amounts of shingle at Dunwich Heath in Suffolk.

But by far the worst hit area in our region was the whole of the North Norfolk coast. At Brancaster Activity Centre, the team found the whole centre was flooded with 18 inches of water, despite flood defences being in place.

Brancaster Beach has also seen dramatic impact, with sand dunes being completely swept away and the toilet building being submerged in five feet of water.

 Photo courtesy of CamroVision Photography

There was huge concern about the seal colony at Blakeney Point and how they would be affected by the surges in the middle of pupping season. There was a tense wait for our team, who had to wait until Saturday to be able to access the point and assess the 1000-strong colony.

So it was with great happiness they were able to report the colony had survived the surge – although they were scattered far and wide around the sand dunes.

Victoria Egan, our Countryside Manager for the North Norfolk Coast, took some time to talk about the impacts of the tidal surge on the whole area, and of course, those seals that have attracted so much attention. WATCH THE VIDEO of the damage caused by the aftermath of the storm.