The terrifying tidal surge that hit the Thanet coast at Broadstairs on Thursday evening was the work of Hurricane Katrina, scientists have revealed.
Though it was back in 2005 that Katrina – the third most powerful hurricane in US history – ripped into the Louisiana coast, the resulting storm surge has enjoyed an eight-year charity world cruise before finally turning its venom on the picturesque English seaside town.
But the Met Office has sought to reassure local people, saying the town’s medium-term outlook isn’t quite as horrid.
The Katrina link will come as no surprise to the hardy souls who braved stiff autumnal breezes to record the sea’s destructive force on their hand-held devices for their Facebook timelines.
No beach hut was safe as the tide rose to previously unimaginable levels, leaving the harbour, the Tartar Frigate pub and its immediate vicinity resembling a post-apocalyptic New Orleans scene of devastation.
Local man Marky Sparks said that The Great Flood of 2013 will go down in Broadstairs folklore. Indeed, said ‘Sparky’, local residents could do a lot worse than take inspiration from the town’s vibrant assortment of folk bands during times of crisis.
He said: “Before I heard Eye of the Storm by the Bubbleband, I was completely at a loss over what to do with my rigging when things get rough. I mean, what do you do when you’re in a tight corner, there’s spray in your eyes, and you’re being tossed hither and thither?
“Thanks to the Bubbleband, I’m now in a state of constant readiness. It could be a lovely day, with the sun out in a clear blue sky but, if there’s so much as a breeze, I’m straight down there tugging at my rigging.”
Meanwhile, the local community is pulling together in a major clean-up exercise, due to to be complete tomorrow (December 8).
And, in a final attempt to make sense of it all, Broadstairs councillors have proposed a motion to twin the town with New Orleans so the two communities can share their experiences and solutions.