The 1953 North Sea Floods: Memories from Canvey Island, Essex

This year marks the 70th anniversary of one of the worst floods in England and Scotland during the 20th Century. It was one of Britain's most significant peacetime tragedies, with Winston Churchill calling it a "shocking and tragic disaster". Essex was heavily affected, with many lives lost and thousands of homes destroyed.
A major rescue operation was mounted to evacuate as many people from the flooded areas as possible, with around 10,000 people evacuated from Canvey Island alone.
Canvey was one of the communities in Essex that suffered the most significant loss of life, with 58 deaths. In Jaywick, 35 people died, and there were 120 total deaths recorded in Essex.
In this video, Ray Howard MBE and Malcolm MacGregor recall living through the floods in Canvey Island.
To learn how Essex County Council is responsing to the Essex Climate Action Commission's Net Zero: Making Essex Carbon Neutral report, please read the Essex Climate Action Plan: assets.ctfassets.net/knkzaf64...

[@user-nu1dd8tx5n]

I remember this and the Lynmouth floods so well despite being a child at the time.

[@johnjephcote7636]

A tank engine on a local train heading for Lowestoft was hit on the smokebox by a bungalow carried on a wave of water. The fire was put out and the moon revealed water all around, even covering the tracks on the low embankment. After a while, with the guard's axe and his broken floorboards, the fire was relighted and the train cautiously continued its journey though the rails were covered with water and all in the moonlight.

[@MrSnod]

Mac..a very brave man

[@benniesagittarius2865]

First time hearing about this, was there ever a movie based on this terrible event?

[@spendover]

So global warming started as far back as then 🤷‍♂️🤦😆