South Humber Bank Flood Defence Repairs Near End (UK)

Repairs to flood defences that help reduce flood risk to communities on the South Humber bank will soon be completed.

The Environment Agency is scheduled to finish the initial repairs to the flood defences, which were damaged by December’s tidal surge, by the beginning of April.

It will have taken just three months to complete the work which has seen more than 13,000 tonnes of clay to bolster the flood banks.

In total, more than 19 km of defences will have been repaired, stretching from Whitton to East Halton Skitter, together with sites further south near to Humberston and North Cotes.

Final repairs started this week to defences between the A1077 and Whitton ahead of further landscaping in summer when grass seed will be sown on the repaired embankments.

The grass roots will bind into the surface to help further increase the stability of the defences.

Mark Adams, Senior Coastal Advisor, said: “We have been extremely busy since early December but are now finally coming to the end of our initial repairs. This was a mammoth task costing around £2-million and involving more than 30 site staff from our own and framework contractors. Although this has taken us three months to complete, it would have taken longer had it not been for the support of local landowners and property owners and the extra resources we have been able to call on in response to the incident.”

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank local communities for their support.”

The tidal surge on 5 December was the highest ever recorded. It was caused by extreme weather conditions, when low pressure and strong winds combined with high spring tides. Spring tides happen every two weeks of the year and do not normally cause flooding because the defences were designed to withstand them.

The level of spring tides can be forecast a long way in advance but weather conditions can only be accurately forecast by the Met Office up to five days before. The Environment Agency closely monitors tidal levels and works with its partners, including the Met Office, to understand any risk associated with combined tidal and weather patterns and will issue flood alerts and warnings as needed.

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Press Release, March 24, 2014