Norfolk homes facing risk from sea water

Thousands of holiday homes and caravans may have to be abandoned if millions of pounds are not found to help Norfolk build a better sea defense wall in the county.

The Environmental Agency (EA) compiled a report on the possibilities of what can happen to prevent this area from being taken by the sea. The coast could be held until 2025, but after that some land would be lost to the encroaching sea or the coastline could be held for a lot longer until the year 2105 but that would come at a cost of £45 million.

In the past 20 year seas levels have risen by four centimetres in the area around The Wash. By 2100 levels are expected to have risen by a whopping one metre altering the coastline dramatically.

“We need to start planning for an increase in sea levels. In addition to sea level rise, the indications are we will have more flooding, more lightning events, more heat waves and more extreme events to contend with,” said Nigel Woonton for the EA.

There are estimated to be around 3,000 holiday chalets and caravans that lay between the outer defense wall and the second embankment along the coast. If nothing is done in the next couple of years, these properties will have to be left to become victims of the growing sea.