Storm Event
“Ravages of a twelve-hour storm with the highest tide recorded for many years”
Source
The 26th of November at mid-day, there was a great depression over the Bay of Biscay (about 980 mbar) which caused hurricane winds blew from the southwest towards the UK (MetOffice, 1924; Boza, 2018). The storm began before midnight the 27thof November with heavy rain and did not cease until about noon. The wind lead to an abnormally high spring tide between 11 am and 12 pm. The gale was reported as one of the most severe experienced in the Isle of Wight for many years.
Pathway
In Southampton, a sea surged over an esplanade and a sea wall. The sea came up over the banks of Hampshire Bridge In Portsmouth, huge waves were breaking over the promenade and were also smashing against sea walls reaching heights of 50 to 60 feet, which resulted in overtopping. Waves also overtopped the Southsea Castle (Boza, 2018).
Receptor and Consequence
In Seaview, the houses near the coast had 3 feet of water. In Broad Street, the water reached to the horses’ girth. Along the Rivers Itchen and Test, many boats suffered serious damage by either being smashed to pieces or sunken, serious flooding and damage occurred to railway lines and neighbourhood areas. Streets were flooded with about 3 feet of water becoming impassable for cars or people, yet boats used them for transportation and furniture was floating along them. Timber was floating and machinery was standing in the water. Buses broke down trying to cross the streams in the roads. Marine and vehicular traffic was suspended, schools and work were cancelled and people were unable to leave their houses. Telephone wires were carried along the streets by the wind and communication was entirely cut off (Boza, 2018).
In Southampton, as the water came over the sea walls, it entered the roads and transformed them into canals and in St. Denys, at least 12 houses and gardens were flooded. The water rose over Totton causeway and Emsworth to the height of 3 feet and all the fields and meadows were inundated (Boza, 2018).
High Street, in Cowes, was flooded several inches deep and many houses, hotels, and shops on ground floor were swamped, and the water reached people’s waist on a bridge. Considerable damage to property and common areas, as parts of houses were blown down and docks were smashed by waves. When the tide receded, rubbish was left in the roads (Boza, 2018).
Summary Table
| Loss of life | * |
| Residential property | Houses in Seaview flooded with 3 feet of water. 12 houses in St. Denys and gardens were flooded. Many houses in Cowes flooded. |
| Evacuation & Rescue | * |
| Cost | * |
| Ports | * |
| Transport | Serious flooding and damage occurred to railway lines along the Rivers Itchen and Test. Roads in St. Denys transformed into canals. Broad Street flooded. High Street in Cowes flooded. |
| Energy | Telephone wires were carried along the streets by the water, communication was entirely cut off. |
| Public services | * |
| Water & wastewater | * |
| Livestock | * |
| Agricultural land | * |
| Coastal erosion | * |
| Natural environment | * |
| Cultural heritage | * |
| Coastal defences | * |
*No known sources of information available
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References
- Met Office. (1924), ‘Monthly Weather Report of the Meteorological Office’, Monthly Weather Report, 41 (11).
- Boza, X. (2018). The Reconstruction and Analysis of Historical Coastal Flood Events from 1800’s in the Solent, UK. Southampton MSc Dissertation.