On the night of 31st January 1953 a tidal surge came down the north sea flooding low lying lands in its path. Canvey Island was badly hit with the Sea Wall washing away in the Tewkes Creek area.
58 people lost their lives and the Island was evacuated.
This section is dedicated to all those who lost their lives and all those who lived through this ordeal.
Please add your Photos and memories to this section.
A New Plaque in memory of the Flood Victims was unveiled outside the library on the 1st February 2011.
On the 1st February 2013 a plaque to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Great Flood was unveiled outside the library, with a short service.
As this category has become so large, over the coming months the pages will be sorted into sub-categories such as 'Peoples stories', photos, reports etc. These will appear at the bottom of this section. So if you are looking for something and cannot find it, it may have been moved to one of the new categories. Hopefully we will just end up with a handful of sub-categories to choose from making it easier to find what you are looking for. At least that is the idea, please bear with us during the changes.
Sam Weeden remembers
The Army came to stay
60 Acres
Emailed in by Pam Goodchild
Len Collin's story
Sunday 1st February 1953
A helping hand
and the cat came too
April 1953 edition
The Church magazine of Hornchurch Parish Church
Unloading Sandbags
East shores Canvey
1953 Floods
Time to reflect
John Tindale's exploits during the Flood
Sent to us by his daughter Pauline Gashinski
A night to remember
Written by Doris Flaherty
An Island Against the Sea
Written by Shirley Thomas
Flood memories photo
Then & Now 60 years on
In Memory of Judith
"We are done for now Maisie"
A Town in the Sea
A Community Play
Remember this?
Newspaper clipping from 2004
William South
Canvey Island Flood 1953.
Jotmans Lane Cemetery South Benfleet
The burial site of many 1953 flood victims
Repairing the breaches
Do you know where these were taken?
Safe and sound
Do you know who the baby was?
9yr Old Evacuee
At Benfleet Primary School
Pets need rescuing too
Do you recognise anywhere?
A Helping Hand
Where was this taken?
Water Water everywhere
You can feel the silence
Poignant Reminder
Xmas Gift From Mrs Rebecca Keymer 1943
Canvey Island Flooding
Report to the Canvey Island UDC by Ron Foyster, Deputy Engineer and Surveyor
Canvey Floods 1953
I survived to tell the tale
PC Bill Pilgrim
One of the heroes of 1953
Drying Off 1953
Inside the Haystack PH
Evacuated
The cutest arrival at Fenchurch Street Station
1953
written about 1987 by Gwen Evans
Canadian Quilt
donated to Canvey Flood victims
Harry Rows them to Safety
Daily Sketch Feb 2nd, 1953
Essex Floods 1953
From the East Anglia Film Archive
Thames Crescent 1953
Ray Howard's family being rescued
Rescued
Children being carried to the awaiting bus
Depression 'Z'
It led to the Disaster of the Great Storm
From a plane over the Thames
Daily Mail Monday February 2, 1953
Flood Memorial Plaque 1997
Hundreds of people turned out
Report of the Chief Fire Officer
on the Flood Emergency January 31st/ February 1st 1953
Is this Canvey
Do you recognise the area?
Holiday Town, last Night
Sunday 1st February 1953 Canvey Island
Flood memory
A night in the loft
Long Road 1953
Looking West towards the Catholic Church
Flooding Aftermath
Canvey Horticultural Society
Waiting for news
Crowds outside the police office 1953
Police Checkpoint
Checking vehicles coming off Canvey Island after floods 1953
The Flood
The History of Canvey Island Methodist Church
After the floods
by Fred McCave 1981
My flood memories
at three and half
Businesses and the floods
Chambers and Greenglades
Nineteen Fifty-Three
Written by Phyllis Owens
Flood 58th Anniversary
The Norman Chisman Slides
February 1953
Phyllis Owens remembers
The East Coast Floods of '53
Written by Helen Rees (nee Tremain)
The Doodlebug Baby
School days and beyond
My Mum and the flood of 1953
written for us by Joyce Humphrey
Fred's Flood Fotos.
Newly emerged pictures from Feb. 53.
The floods of 1953
remembered by George Smith
The Great Flood
Painting by Harry Russell
My Canvey Memories
Interview with Thelma Payne
BBC Film Canvey Island Floods of 1953
BBC Interview by the BBC with Geoff Barsby in 2008
1953 Floods video clips
donated by the Stevens Family
The cleanup after the floods of '53
Watercolours by local artist Harry Russell
Agony of the Animals
PDSA Animal's Magazine March 1953
The Flood of 1953
extracts from the memoirs of the late Major Reg Stevens M.C., C.Eng., F.I.C.E.
The Floods of 1953
Memories of a six year old
Flood Memories
Canvey Island 1953
Britains Great Flood Disaster
By Hank Janson, profits donated to help flood victims
1953 Flood pictures
Lent to us by Eileen Cutler
The Alouette's roll in the Rescue
Exclusive photos of the 1953 Floods
Carol Good's Flood Photos
From her father "Les Vine's" Album