Large crowds turned out to watch one of Burnham’s highest tides for several years on Saturday night (September 9th), but calm weather meant the threatened flooding did not materialise.
The Environment Agency issued a Flood Watch for Burnham and other towns between Porlock and Avonmouth on Saturday in advance of the huge 12-metre tide sweeping in at 9.00pm.
But gentle offshore breezes and a calm sea state meant there was no flooding in the town, much to the relief of residents and business owners.
Flood gates at both Burnham’s jetty and Maddocks Slade were closed an hour before the tide reached its height, and the Agency’s staff stood by throughout the evening just in case the weather conditions changed.
Large numbers of onlookers filled the seafront to watch the incoming tide, helping to boost the trade of several businesses along the seafront.
The Esplanade fish and chip shop reported “brisk trade” and both Sunspot amusements and the Pavilion said they had been busier than normal.
Burnham-On-Sea.com also saw a jump in its visitor numbers as large numbers of Web users logged on to access its live seafront webcam.
The Web site’s traffic was twice the normal Saturday figures.
The photo on the right shows Burnham’s Pavilion at the height of the 12 metre tide, courtesy of Stavros Partakis.
While Saturday’s tides have passed without incident, the Environment Agency is already asking residents to be aware of the possibility of flooding between October 7th and 10th, when more exceptionally high tides are expected. Should these coincide with bad weather, the risk of flooding will return.
RELATED LINKS:
When to watch September’s high tides
Threat of flooding to Burnham recedes
