Catalogue description Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food: Registered Files: Flood Emergency Organisation (FEO Series)

The East Coast floods disaster occurred as a result of an abnormal North Sea tidal surge moving down the East Coast of England on the night of 31 January - 1 February 1953. Approximately 1,200 breaches were forced in the 1,000 miles of sea defences protecting low-lying land from Northumberland to Kent and about 160,000 acres of agricultural land were inundated. Over 1,000 cattle, 9,000 sheep, 2,500 pigs and 33,500 poultry were killed and there was considerable damage to farm houses, agricultural buildings and equipment. In addition to agricultural damage the toll of the disaster was over 300 lives lost, 24,000 dwelling houses and 200 major industrial plants flooded and damaged and 200 miles of railway line put out of action.

On 2 February 1953 the Prime Minister announced in the House of Commons that the flooding would be treated as a national disaster. An inter-departmental committee (the Newsam Committee) was set up to coordinate government assistance under the chairmanship of Sir Frank Newsam, Permanent Under-Secretary of State, Home Office. On 28 April 1953 a Departmental Committee on Coastal Flooding under the chairmanship of Viscount Waverley was appointed jointly by the Secretary of State for the Home Department, the Secretary of State for Scotland, the Minister of Housing and Local Government and the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries. One of its terms of reference was '.... to examine the causes of the recent floods and the possibilities of a recurrence in Great Britain'.