North Sea flood of 1953

31 January – 1 February 1953 · named by historic · England, Scotland

▶ Replay this storm hour by hour the rain, the rivers and the warnings on one clock, and the moments that mattered at your door

307UK deaths

A severe windstorm combined with a spring high tide drove a catastrophic North Sea storm surge that breached over 1,200 sea defences along the east coast, flooding Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex; around 307 died on land, and the disaster led directly to the Thames Barrier and modern coastal defences.

Flood footprintEnvironment Agency warning history, England · storm total

0severe warnings

0flood warnings

0flood alerts

0areas

0counties

0rivers & seas

This storm falls outside the Environment Agency's warning record, which runs from 2006 to 2026. There is nothing here to count — a gap in the record, not a storm without flooding.

Detailed gauge records aren't available for this storm — it predates FloodRadar's gauge history. The flood footprint above is compiled from the Environment Agency's warning history for England.

Gauge records cover 30 January – 2 February 1953 (the storm window ± a day). Frozen 3 Jul 2026.

All UK storms Great Storm of 1987 →

FloodRadar compiles Environment Agency warning history, gauge data and public reporting. It is not an emergency service and does not replace official flood warnings — always follow official guidance during a storm.