Some horrendous pictures on TV of parts of the E Coast, have to feel for anyone living in these areas

Bet of luck with that hoping more people want to leave but Essex radio reporting Police having lots of problems with old folk

Hoping your family get on all ok

I feel proud of them in lots of ways many come up from eastend years ago and made new life many good folk and honest around that part and all they have is a small wooden home and dont want to leave because thats all they have with family  and wanted. sometimes its nice to have that sort of folk around.

Another 4 SFWs since my last - currently 56 in force (5 in Kent now).

Just hearing on Radio Kent, that reports from the EA in Hull say levels reached there, are highest ever recorded, at 5.8m

Keep us all informoed chaps. Sounds like we have a serious/major event taking place.

I was watching Look East tonight on BBC 1 and it showed Kings Lynn with the road by the harbour under 2 feet of water at 6.30pm

I'm wondering how other areas are affected now we're 3 hours on.

Reports on the radio from Boston, Lincs: "Scenes are unprecedented".

This is odd, I've just popped out into the garden to see what it's looking like in the inner harbour (as I can see it from there) and it appears to be still in "dry dock" mode (boats still sitting on sand) as well as the weather being quite calm and clear. I have seen how the spring tide were lapping the top bit in the past so this tidal surge will have to occur very quickly over here what with high tide being at 12 am tonight. 
  Anyway, I am seeing some seriously worrying looking pictures of the east coast so it is all happening.

From what I'm hearing Ian - I'd take a look in an hours time. It sounds awful. If any of your mates etc are living in a house by the sea front. I'd give them a warning if you haven't already.

Apparently the drains have burst behind Matalan in Cobholm (my old place) in Great Yarmouth with only a meter of wall left before the water comes over.

I think many of us will be following this thread very much tonight. Loads of friends of mine have been asking me about all this.

Looks very much like we have a major event on our hands now.

I wouldn't be surprised, pictures are emerging of sea water rushing through the streets from breached sections.
Hulll tide peaked at 5.8m, the barriers are required at 4.2m


http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/WEATHER-UPDATES-Flooding-Victoria-Dock-Kingswood/story-20267223-detail/story.html 

I'm a bit worried about this I have to admit, this part of essex is fairly low lying.  The further down the esat coast the surge gets the worse hit the east coast will be as the water level increases up at the mouth of the English Channel. 

HT here is about 2am I think, glad i'm 2 stories up!  

I have a beach hut at Walmer, near Deal.  I fear it may be nearing the last few hours of its life

Unsurprisingly the Thames Barrier is closed, now i've heard that the barrier when closed could actually cause water levels to rise even higher in areas of Kent and Essex that are in front of the barrier as the water cannot flow up the Thames.  If the Barrier had been in place in 1953 then the floods around the likes of Canvey Island etc would have been even worse.  

Desperate last calls from Waverny council

Waveney District Council is urging residents in threatened properties to vacate them as soon as possible.

The council says reports suggest that the tide is far higher and far earlier than expected, and that residents should not presume to wait until immediately before the predicted surge peak at around 11pm.

A spokesman said: “We are basing this on reports from Oulton Broad and Mutford Lock where the water is already brimming the barriers - it’s higher and sooner than we thought.”

The rest centres in Lowestoft, Kessingland, Southwold and Carlton Colville are now open and receiving people.

He said the Oulton Broad road bridge is to be closed shortly because water levels are now too high for cars to cross safely.

Mmm, this is peculiar. I've just walked down to the harbour and even the outer harbour is still in dry dock with boats sitting on sand, exactly how it looks like at low tide, as well as all being calm, clear and feeling mild, yet the spring tide is less then three hours away.

What's going on?

Ian - you'll find out soon enough.