Great Storm waves hit Chesil Beach 5 February 2014. Portland flooded. Unique video by Stuart Morris.
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- Опубліковано 20 жов 2024
- Chesil Beach, Portland suffers its greatest storm for 35 years. It is frightening, dramatic and spectacular, but the 50-year-old sea wall and the flood defences kept Chiswell from being deluged. Filmed by Stuart Morris. Gigantic waves overtop the world-famous beach, inundating the Beach Road and cutting the Island off from the mainland. As seen on BBC TV. Once again Chesil proves its worth as a great naturally protective storm beach. Neither the beach nor the defences were breached. The old village of Chiswell is still intact. Grandes olas de tormenta. Grandes vagues de tempête.
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This is a phenomenal video and brought back so many memories of my childhood. I was born in Portland and lived there till my family emigrated to Australia in the late 60’s. Portland will always be my home and the mighty Chesil beach always close to my heart. Thankyou for the lovely memories.
Thank you for your very kind comments Rachel. I'm pleased that you enjoyed I. Fortunately, the sea defences prevented much serious damage. It's good that you still keep an eye on your old home after so many years, and from so far away!
Introduce the Aussies to Dough buns!
Thank-you!
This puts me in mind of the 13th Century storms that so moved the shingle that Old Winchester was lost and the Eastern Rother's course was so diverted that New Romney was left, not as a port, but as an inland Market Town, Rye taking its place.
The sea defences at Barking on The Thames were, likewise, destroyed.
Here in West Sussex, the sea defences at Climping Beach have been given up. They make for magnificent wild-coast scenes.
Again, thank-you!
It’s hard to fathom the size of the waves! Having stood atop the beach on a calm day, it’s very hard to picture overtopping…but this shows how it looks! Cracking footage!
Amazing footage. We visit Chesil beach often only there this summer. Incredible seeing it so wild.
Excellent footage and very informative.
Thanks for posting this Stuart...as ever Portland stands firm...
I was born in Weymouth (in 1970) I remember the 1979 Storm & the flooding in Portland. Good to see the old Pub standing firm! I live in Oz now but whenever I'm home, I always have a Pint (or 3) at this great Pub. Long may it stand!!
Thanks Stuart, probably the most amazing storm pictures I've ever seen, all the more so for being of a much loved place. From a Dorset exile in Dublin
It reminds me of doc martins town. I really enjoyed this video!! Thank you.
Yes, Port Isaac or Port Wen! I love Doc Martin(and I live in Italy!!!!!) 😊👍👏
Ha the actor actually lives nearby
The storm in late 1989 did a lot more damage to the Cove house Inn. I know because myself and my mate spent nearly 4 months there repairing the damage to the inside top floor down to the cellar 😮
Absolutely correct. I was on duty through that storm. I mention the Cove House inn in 1989 at 23:35 in this video; ua-cam.com/video/5eUTp5ITP3M/v-deo.htmlsi=U1vpbwficLwhrIS8v=5eUTp5ITP3M&t=1523s
The power of nature is wonderful
I live in Clements Lane and thus really appreciate you documenting this spectacular. It was so exciting watching the sea oozing down the Opes and heading my way!
nature at its best - great footage!
Great footage - really liked the notes and cutaways to historic photos.
Great filming and storyline, Stuart. Many thanks for the effort spent on this.
Just 0:20 comes the biggest wave with the spray going well OVER the top of the inn... from sea level to spray top must have been at least 6 or 7 stories. Impressive....
……Hᴜɢʜ….Lɪᴋᴇᴅ…..ツ
Down at the Chesil Beach Centre ..Showing the visitors your great video
been there last june on my motorcycle doing a tour along the south coast of england (from the netherlands) but this looks terrible.
I loved all those old towns and little villages along the coast.
My parents owned a holiday cottage in Brandy Row they purchased it very cheap as it used to flood before the sea defence wall was built so we had nothing like that then but looking at this video it probably did suffer from a flood..
Fortunately although some houses had some water in, the sea defences prevented any serious flooding of properties
I came to that staircase (3 mins, zero seconds) the morning after the storm,and found the steel handrails hammered flat against the steps. It was as though a gang of men with sledgehammers had spent hours beating the rails flat. The beaten rails were surrounded by big hard rock boulders as big as a loaf of bread or shoe box,lying on the cracked steps.
That shows the power of storm waves!
as a Weymouth born my self, I live up north now with my mum but visit Weymouth and Portland every Easter to see family, I have never seen anything like this in my life. Shockin.
incredible footage showing the power of the sea . The waves even in Plymouth sound were huge that day .
Thanks for the great footage and the commentary.
No fishing that day then. I actually remember this storm as I was building a patio in Weymouth and had hired a skip from Portland to clear the old rubble, had to wait ages for it to arrive as the causeway was shut off for a while.
You could have floated back in the skip!
Thanks for these uploaded views. It seems totally different to what I remember the beach. I wonder if I was the owners of the Cove House, I think I would be worried about any glass in the windows, or even any windows!
Does anyone know what the window glass is, I mean it is probably the original what is it ½" thick so it doesn’t break?
Well filmed and very informative ,thankyou .N.Z.
Excellent reportage. Best of luck to all. Remember, all storms pass.
looks like a very nice place to spend a eco vacation......Thanks for sharing
Wow amazing footage .. Never seen anything like it .. The BIG one indeed ! Glad my friends Mandy and Jackie ( landladies of the Cove ) are safe and sound ! Thank you for post theses amazing picture ! Crazy weather lets hope it all calms down real soon .
Incredible. Thanks.
It's amazing how that inn has lasted for so long in spite of storms like these. Does anyone know if the Inn was evacuated before this storm hit?
E Mack it wasnt
They don't build pubs like they used to .. amazing sound on the shingle , well done your council the whole town would of been wiped out , I bet it was creepy standing behind those defences ..thank you for sharing ..
Amazing video. Thank you...x
These shots of the half sea and half land and house looks like an impressionist’ painting showing just how little colour the truly is visible on these wintery days, all greys blacks greens and white.
Great video and commentary.
Looks amazing. I lived in Fortuneswell in 1979, this looks even more dramatic and the sea defences look to have done their job!
Jeez! Thanks for sharing
Nothing beats a storm on Chesil beach. The wind power, the waves, the noise is incredible. When it comes to uk coast, Weymouth and the surrounding area cant be beaten. Winter or summer, its an awesome place.
Ceosl. Old English, gravel, shingle cf Chelsea, gravel island
Great video. I thought they had fitted iron gates at the south side of the Cove inn to stop water falling on down into the village during such sorms ? I've seen the reinforcement work carried out on the north side after this storm but what about those gates on the south side ?
I live on Portland and the wind was so intense no one could drive as it shook cars and blew stuff around I remember this storm like it was yesterday
I remember 1978 ,what a mess 😮i was working on a crab boat owned by colin horne ,he ran the kings arms in weymouth and i used to play in the folk band called ARISH MELL and we played in the kings arms a lot and supported our life boat ,i now live in the virgin isles getting old now but happy memories 😊😊😊
Se the 1978 and 1979 floods here: ua-cam.com/video/5eUTp5ITP3M/v-deo.htmlsi=1ebZ7OEyRhrR_s4j
@@StuartMorris7 seen it thanks 😊
Looks so chillled
Great. Just moved in - can see my house from here.
*note to self: Check insurance cover..
Despite appearances, very few properties were seriously flooded. The sea defences are very effective!
Fantastic filming mate!
We have a holiday home in wyke regis overlooks portland head on going down there tomorrow!
Has it changed chesil beach in any way??
Oh right thanks for the info look faward to coming down again!
thank you very much for the footage absolutely spectacular, i hope everyone stays safe
Were those sirens even sounded?
I’m from Bournemouth I use too go there for fishing with friends cold at 1am
Hi Stuart. I've just found this great video of yours.
You may recall in c1979/80 I designed the open channel at the back of the beach and the culverts under the Weymouth to Portland road to drain seepage water from the underground interceptor drain in Chiswell to Portland Harbour. It was a W & P B C engineers idea. I wish I could remember his name, do you remember it?
I didn't know the road was raised in 1988 (9 min 20sec). When they did that, why on earth didn't they increase the size of the culverts under the road and raise the road above potential flood levels so road access to Portland would remain open during storms like the one in your video?
Best wishes
Tony B ex. WWA/NRA/EA
Great to hear from you Tony. Do you recall that you contacted me after I first posted that video back in 2014? I kept our emails. I remember you well, from those very interesting times. I am not quite sure which engineer you mean, but my boss John Kemble was the Borough Engineer. Sadly he is now bedridden with extreme dementia. I was closely involved in all the flooding events from the early 1979s to my early retirement in 2000, and I had an input (especially from a Highways perspective) in the various schemes, including yours. I expect you've seen the 1991 Heijne & West paper on the design of interceptor drain. I always got on well with Malcolm West, is he still around? I can send you some pictures and info via email if you like, it would be good to share a few notes and recollections. is yours still tburch123@yahoo.co.uk? Mine is sm42@talktalk.net That may be easier than using Facebook. Best wishes, Stuart
Hi again Stewart, how about going for a pint to reminse next time I'm in Weymouth? Tony
I used to live there!
I went on holiday when a storm was happening and we drove to chesil beach and the waves were like 10m high
This is why they situated HMS Portland and HMS Osprey where they did . well protected .
Chesil Beach looks like one of the most unnatural land marks I’ve come across. Having been there it’s got that vibe of being a tunnel coming from the tunnel network under Portland that travels all the way to West Bay. There are so many destroyed, hidden and blocked off tunnels in Weymouth, I’d guess everything used to be all interconnected. Man made or natural Chesil Beach is a good barrier for weather like this 👍
There's nothing unnatural about Chesil Beach! I't's 100% a natural phenomimon, one of the most researched geological formations in the UK. There are no tunnels there other than a deep one carrying a sewer to an outfall far out to sea.
The culvert 6:00 could well have befuddled you but it's as natural a wonder as can be.
It's eighteen miles long and the further to the west you scrunch, the smaller the pebbles become. (Told you it was natural. And wonderful!)
Behind is the Fleet with its tidal top ups and constant freshwater from the streams, its mediæval instigated Swannery and and and .!
I was serving in the RN at Portland (FAA 772 Sqdn) when the former mentioned storm hit. (Late 1978) Nature is a very powerfull force and we were cut off for many days then. My wife was employed by Accountants Coyne-Butterworh and they, along with a few others, including we Naval personell, were very instrumental in assistance and recognised at a formal function by the Mayors of Both Portland and Weymouth. I have to add, The Salvation Army were amongst those at the forefront 24/7. Indeed it was those wonderfull people that operated a mobile canteen service twice a day on the Naval Base and Air Station. During the peak of the relief work, we on 772 Sqdn (Wessex 5s SAR unit) were shocked when the van turned up at the normal time in the morning? They offerred us free Sandwiches and Tea/Coffee! Being appologetic at not being able to supply "Normal Service"! I put a couple of Pounds on the counter and insisted they use it. Then informing others on the squadron! I doubt there was person on 772 who, on hearing of this, didn't go to the van and p-ut similar amounts of money? Without wanting food or drink! :-)
Yes, in both the 1978 and 1979 floods, I was Duty Engineer for the local authority organising clear-up and repair operations. You're right about the Salvation Army, and the tremendous input by naval personnel and others. Neither would be around to do that in future events.
No mackerel fishing today then? Stay safe people.
good job them pebbles are piled that high as it would be flooded, great storm barrier
Great film footage. No chance of a swim then?
Why did not they curve the wall outward vertically.
They did. The seaward faces of the walls have a properly designed wave-return profile (curved). The waves were simply too big!
The seawall builders of old knew their stuff! I'll bet it felt really good to be snug inside with a warm fire and good food while this storm raged.
I was the resident engineer on one of the stages, hence my interest in watching it perform.
I got soaking wet filming this - by the rain!
I remember the beach changing alot from where the sea washed the stones away lol
Yes, and the sea restores it nicely in time.
Is that a body being tossed about in the waves early into the video??
Fortunately not! It was probably timber (from an old wreck?)
@@StuartMorris7 looked awful floppy..
@Darren and Ozzy there were so many people watching this, including the emergency services, who would have quickly acted.
@@StuartMorris7 I don't doubt it was just some debris but it really does look like a body being tossed about like a ragdoll.. Some crazy waves though, gutted I missed this..
But in a few months people will be on that beach and thinking "what the waves went up over there!!"
I visited last summer and can not imagine (I know I can see them in this video, tho) waves reaching over the top of that shingle mountain...x
A Month at Sea in 31 Seconds (January 2014)
I left my fibreglass boat moored up there in the sea, in front of the Pub...............can you check and see if is OK, next time your passing.............
Would`nt want to be out the from of the Cove Inn having a beer in that weather. I suppose a shore dive off the beach is out of the question too !
Just WOW !!!
Good film
These are just tiny waves compared to real storms in the Philippines
kristofer canero yea i know but in 1989 there was rouge wave hear
Who by?
i live near this :0(
Recon an 8oz lead will hold?
Too obscure for me, please explain .
@@StuartMorris7 lol it’s a fishing pun, I normally fish Chesil cove.
@@sabbage100 I should have guessed!
@@StuartMorris7 the storm did look savage, it’s amazing how it re-shapes the beach, I’ve been down there a few time when the shingle banks were almost vertical!
@sabbage100 yes, the profile changes in every storm. The Environment Agency makes a big mistake in trying to 'repair' it each time.
spectacular
brilliant video
Are the rabbits ok?
That's why it's a great idea to live just by the beach
You may not think it, but they love living there!
Its a world heritage site, all of whoch are privately owned!!
makes you think what it would be like without the chesil shingle! the waves would wipe out more!
News updates + weather warnings on the latest floods in the UK. Free advice from independent loss adjusters working for you not you not your insurer.
Зачем было так близко к берегу строить дома??? В них же невозможно жить!
It is very safe these days, as the sea defence works are effective. Many of the houses have been lived in for hundreds of hears. . Most of what came over the houses was sea spray. People love living there, so close to raw nature. Storms like that don't happen every year.
В наши дни это очень безопасно, так как морские сооружения эффективны. Во многих домах жили сотни лет. Людям нравится жить там, так близко к нетронутой природе. Подобные бури случаются не каждый год.
I am glad I was not at home when this happens
Cowabunga dude! Surfs up 😂👍😁🤘
not a politician in sight can argue with that power! They need to wake up!
Whats the big deal about Chesil Beach, its privately owned?
The central section to the Wyke boundery stone to the Abbotsbury car park is owned by the' IIchester Estates' and environmentally it is the most sensitive part of the beach. Because of this the slope facing into the beach facing into the Fleet is closed throughout the year to all access. Stone and or pebbles are 'quarried' for profit....
Care for a bet Mr Know Nowt?
Stuart Morris think he gave up LOL
I agree, there are some thick folk down there.
umm it did flood.....
Best time to go for a swim😂
Be nice fishing in that surf 🤣🤣
anyone watching this while studying moonfleet?
looks like the toonarmy
anyone here from cgs?
Which CGS are you referring to?
Do u mean Colyton Grammar School? Bc I am. English lesson/work?
Good, I had the misfortune of living there for three years, just behind the sea barrier. Good riddance.
That's a strange comment. Even in that storm there was no serious damage, and residents love living so close to the beautiful Chesil Cove and fine walks.
@@StuartMorris7 I would guess clearing sand from your garden get monotonous.
@@joefish6091 No sand in gardens here! Chesil beach is shingle, large pebbles, I'm 300 feet up on the island so not affected by flooding.
You don't get a thrill out of raw nature then?
The power of allah
I didn't think it was Storm Allah! It's a natural phenomenon, not controlled by some heavenly being.😉
Iv fishes in worse 😂😂😂
Are the rabbits ok?
bunnies!