Yahoo News Thames Barrier shut for 200th time as flood defence chief warns of new risks
The Thames Barrier was being closed for the 200th time today to protect London from potential flooding as environmental chiefs warned of the risk from rising sea levels caused by climate change.
Up to 640,000 properties in the capital and along the Thames will be protected by the closure of the 540-metre-wide barrier, the Environment Agency said.
It is the seventh time it has been closed in 2020/21 although it was raised 50 times in 2013/14 — its busiest season in nearly 40 years of operation.
Andy Batchelor, operations manager for the Thames Tidal Defences, said that without the barrier “the centre of London would have potentially been inundated on multiple occasions and millions of people would have been at risk from the misery of flooding”.
He added, however, that more money would be needed to bolster flood defences in the face of climate change.
“The barrier will continue to provide that protection until at least 2070, but as we see the effect of the climate emergency with rising sea levels we’re investing a further £54 million in London, providing funding to more than 50 schemes to tackle all sources of flooding.”
Emergency services across the south of England received hundreds of calls from people reporting flooding as Storm Aurora moved in from France on Wednesday evening, bringing up to 50mm of rain and 45mph winds.
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