Residents Praise Armed Forces Deployed In Flood Protection

Residents living along Britain's east coast have praised the efforts of the forces and the emergency service who deployed last night to help protect those at risk from flooding.

Personnel from the King's Royal Hussars took over from the RAF Regiment at Great Yarmouth where there was a risk of an extremely high tide.  

The soldiers were on standby all night, but flood defences remained intact.

The troops arrived in Great Yarmouth around 3pm yesterday, and were on hand overnight to assist the local authorities.

Thousands were evacuated from their homes as the Environment Agency (EA) issued 17 severe warnings - which warn of danger to life - with those in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex told they were most at risk.

But in the early hours of Saturday, the remaining residents in a rest centre in Jaywick, Essex, were told they could return to their homes after no signs of flooding.

Residents on the east coast waited for the storm surge to hit during the second high tide, with gale-force winds and higher than usual tides expected to bring waves crashing over coastal defences.

Essex Police said the centre in Clacton saw 230 residents at its peak - but no one visited another site in West Mersea.

The Army were working alongside the Police force and Fire Service to visit more than 5,000 properties in order to help with the evacuation of the coastal town of Great Yarmouth. 

Whilst in Scotland, the MoD announced that about 100 soldiers from the Catterick Army base have been deployed to Skegness.

Minister for the Armed Forces Mike Penning praised troops who have been deployed to areas which are at risk:

"We like to be in front of the problems, but traditionally we have always waited for the problems to come." 

"Now we have tried to get in first - to be there alongside the other emergency services and I'm really proud of what our troops are doing today."

Floods Minister Therese Coffey said:

 "Our absolute priority is protecting lives, homes and businesses from the serious threat of coastal flooding currently facing the east coast.

"That is why we have soldiers on the ground helping to warn and evacuate people alongside the emergency services and Environment Agency teams, who are working round the clock to make sure our permanent defences are working well and temporary defences are in place where necessary."

Conditions are expected to take a turn for the better over the course of the weekend.

Cover image shows King's Royal Hussars and 5th Battalion the Rifles in flood training in November 2016. 

MORE: Army Helping To Bring Normality Back To Cumbria