RISK OF SEVERE FLOODING
The flood defenses of the entire Dutch coast were put on alert and the Oosterschelde barrier in the south of the country was also closed, the ministry spokesman said.In Britain, large areas of the Norfolk and Kent coasts are at risk of severe flooding, the government said."A tidal surge of up to three meters is making its way down the North Sea which could coincide with high tides," Environment Secretary Hilary Benn told parliament.A special meeting was held by Prime Minister Gordon Brown to coordinate the emergency response, a spokeswoman said."There is a risk of flood defenses being overtopped on the coast and in tidal rivers especially in East Anglia, particularly the Norfolk Broads, the coast south of Great Yarmouth, including Lowestoft, and areas south of this as far as the coast of Kent," Benn said.Britain's Met Office said north-westerly winds exceeding 80 kph were coinciding with low pressure and high tides to produce the exceptional conditions. The Thames Barrier which protects London from flooding was closed late on Thursday.Norfolk police said people in 7,500 homes in the Great Yarmouth area had been advised to leave and hundreds of elderly residents had been evacuated.Local authorities have set up evacuation centers in schools and delivered sand bags to homes along parts of the east coast.The floods in 1953 killed around 300 in England and more than 1,800 in the Netherlands. Two thirds of the Netherlands would have been permanently flooded but for an elaborate system of dikes and canals. "The storm conditions are very similar to 1953," the Dutch ministry spokesman said. The government weather service forecast force nine winds for parts of the Dutch coast. Shipping to and from Rotterdam harbor is expected to remain suspended until 12 p.m. EDT on Friday, a port spokesman said. Rotterdam, a major transit point for oil, coal, grains and other commodities, handles about 35 percent of European port traffic by tonnage. About 60 ships will be affected by the closure of the port.
As in the days of Noah...