Environmental and social impacts of the 2013 Storm Surge on the North Norfolk coast

The combination of high tides, strong winds and low pressure between the 5th and 7th of December 2013 caused a devastating storm surge that reached the North Norfolk coast (fig. 1a). Tides along parts of the North Norfolk coast reached higher levels than the devastating floods of 1953. Natural and man made sea defences were breached (fig. 1c, 2a) and large areas of the coastal ecosystem were flooded (fig. 2b) . This coastline is a mosaic of natural and semi-natural habitats and farmland, supporting significant wildlife populations, protecting the coastline against erosion and are widely used for recreation. The extent and duration of the impacts is still unclear and uncertain.