Burnham-On-Sea jetty has been temporarily closed by Somerset Council and several yachts were damaged at Burnham-On-Sea Sailing Club on Tuesday (April 9th) as high winds and Spring tides struck the town.
Huge waves, whipped up by strong onshore winds, crashed onto Burnham’s sea wall, sending plumes of spray into the air, as we reported here.
Several of the jetty’s wooden planks were damaged and a coping stone was also washed out of the structure, which was strewn with debris, as pictured here.
The council taped off access routes onto the jetty and launched a clean-up and safety inspections to assess when it can re-open.
Meanwhile, Michael Clarke, Burnham-On-Sea Sailing Club Commodore, thanked his club’s members and helpers for a “huge team effort”.
He told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “Tuesday morning’s tide saw our dredging boat drift from its mooring and puncture a hole in a yacht before it become wedged under a section of the pontoons [pictured below].”
“Another boat broke free of its mooring; one was left high on the riverbank further up the estuary; and several mooring lines broke, resulting in damage.”
He added that a large amount of debris was washed up, posing a particular threat to the yachts and pontoons.
“Several large tree logs and trunks and other big pieces of debris were washed in. These would have caused carnage on the next tide if they were left.”
“The club therefore launched a big clean-up operation to remove the debris. Everyone pitched in and helped and it was a marvellous club effort.”
“Our special thanks go to Norman Keedwell who supplied two diggers to help us remove the bigger items and take away the debris to a safe place away from the waterline.”
He added that Tuesday morning’s storm – which saw huge waves crash onto Burnham seafront and overtop the sea wall – had been “nothing like I have seen before.”
Several long-time members at the Burnham club agreed that it had been among the most severe storms since the 1982 Burnham-On-Sea storm which left a trail of damage and prompted the building of the current sea wall.
Several remarked on Tuesday evening that the sea wall has this week ultimately prevented Burnham from more flooding.
