Storm Event
The water rose to a height greater than the oldest inhabitant can recall
Source
The midday event was triggered by an unusually severe storm, which blew wind in a south-westerly direction and was followed by a second event at around midnight (Hickey, 1997).
Pathway
No known sources of information.
Receptor and Consequence
This coastal flood event can be split into two inundations, one at around noon and a later one in the evening of the same day. Around noon, the sea overflowed defenses in a number of locations leading to flooding across the UK, notably in Blackpool, Towyn and Dumfries and Galloway (Zong and Tooley, 2003; Hickey, 1997).
In Scotland, homes and businesses were inundated from Portpatrick to Carsethron. At Newton Stewart the tide rose higher than any of the local people could remember, washing away roads and harbours. Along the Rivers Nith and Annan homes, farmland and roads were flooded, up to 5 feet in Kingholm Quay. The evening storm surge was less severe, but exacerbated the effects of the earlier event, from Isle of Whithorn to Kingholm Quay (Hickey, 1997).
On the west coast of England, a newly built sea wall near Fairhaven Golf Club was partially torn down by the force of the waves. The clubhouse there was flooded at a great pace, the water reaching the tops of the walls at one point. Blackpool promenade was completely submerged, and people were photographed boating on a flooded football pitch in Fleetwood (amounderness.co.uk, n.d.).
Summary Table
| Loss of life | * |
| Residential property | Flooding of houses in Portpatrick, Garliestown, Isle of Whithorn, Brow Well, Conheath, Kingholm Quay, Waterfoot. House at Port-o’-Warren was destroyed |
| Evacuation & Rescue | * |
| Cost | * |
| Ports | Isle of Whithorn harbour partly washed away. Dalbeattle and Colvend ports flooded. Tide overflowed at Kirkcudbright harbour |
| Transport | Roadways washed away in Drummore; from Garliestown to Egerness; from Isle of Whithorn to Cairn; from Victoria Lodge to Slate Row. Rose Street, Bute Street, Port Street, Mill Street, Silver Street, Skyreburn Bridge and Pow Bridge flooded. Tide overflowed roads at North Carse farmhouse and Southerness. Road at north end of The Gynn Slade undermined |
| Energy | Gasworks flooded, interrupting supply for 12 hours |
| Public services | Post office in Isle of Whithorn closed as water surrounded it |
| Water & wastewater | * |
| Livestock | * |
| Agricultural land | Ladyhall, Stanhope, Pleasance, Nethertown, Mersehead and Flatts of Cargen farms flooded, as were fields at Dawlington Meadows and between New Abbey Road and River Nith |
| Coastal erosion | * |
| Natural environment | * |
| Cultural heritage | * |
| Coastal defences | Sea wall demolished in Fairhaven, Lancashire |
*No known sources of information available
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References
- Hickey, K. R. (1997). Documentary records of coastal storms in Scotland, 1500-1991 A.D. Retrieved from https://curve.coventry.ac.uk/open/file/aa6dfd04-d53f-4741-1bb7-bdf99fb153be/1/hick1comb.pdf.
- Zong, Y. & Tooley, M. J. A. (2003). Historical Record of Coastal Floods in Britain: Frequencies and Associated Storm Tracks. Natural Hazards, 29, 13–36.
- amounderness.co.uk (n.d.). 1896 – “The Great Storm” at Blackpool. Retrieved [05/09/2018] from http://www.amounderness.co.uk/1896_great_storm_blackpool.html