2013 Storm Surges

Causes of the Storm Surge

• Intense low pressure

• Sea shape and coastline— the funnel shape of the North Sea opening to the Atlantic Ocean pushes storm surges towards London and Amsterdam

• Sea depth— shallower seas increase the height of tides and storm surges

• High seasonal tides

• Strong northerly winds pushing the storm and the surge further south, increasing the height of the surge and tides.

Impacts in the UK

• Strong winds

• Coastal flooding and forced evacuation

• At Hemsby in Norfolk, cliff erosion resulted in several properties collapsing into the sea

• Bridges were shut, and rail services in eastern countries were disrupted

• Two people died

• Hundreds of thousands of properties were protected by flood defenced, and the Thames Barrier was closed to protect London

• Insurers calculated the cost of the damage to be £100 million.

Impacts in the Netherlands

• Strong winds, together with a storm surge, that was predicted to be 2 metres high in the Netherlands, however reached 3.74 metres in height on the East Frisian coast

• The Delta Works were closed against the storm surge