BYGONE CLEETHORPES: HOW RESORT WAS HAMMERED BY NORTH SEA SURGE OF 1953

Below is an extract from the e-book Seaquake which describes the impact on Lincolnshire seaside towns and villages of the floods brought about by the great North Sea Surge of January 31, 1953

In Cleethorpes, residents, who had mostly settled in for the evening, first realised things were amiss when water began seeping under doors and into their homes at about 5pm.

Another two hours elapsed before the fire station siren sounded and rescue initiatives were launched.

By then, waves had smashed through the sea wall between Fuller Street and Suggitts Lane, gushing into Grimsby Road and Brereton Avenue. Likewise, nearby Hart Street, Elliston Street and Oliver Street were soon under a foot of water.

In the mayhem, tons of coal that had been stored by householders in their cellars were swept away.

One eyewitness recalled dogs swimming frantically in the water.

Elsewhere on the seafront, the foaming sea surged between Orkeys café (now The Punch Bowl) and an adjacent amusement arcade, knocking asunder the slot machines.

In the days that followed, children scavenged in the beach debris for the spilled coins.

Mercifully, there was no loss of life in Cleethorpes, but the extent of damage to buildings and property was massive.

Among the complications was, at that time, most houses had outdoor loos, and the sewage outlets had been overwhelmed

One music-loving resident was devastated to discover her beloved piano had been ruined by sea water. 

She was close to tears as she picked out the seaweed from its intricate inner mechanisms.

Seaquake is available, price £1, as an e-book on Amazon Kindle:
https://amzn.to/2tOptVO