 The barrier held off the highest tide for almost 40 years |
Hull was saved from certain flooding on Wednesday night as the city's tidal barrier was closed to combat one of the highest tidal surges in four decades. The barrier was put in place in 1981 and on Wednesday water levels rose to the same height as 1969 when the city centre was flooded.
At 15.9ft (4.85m), the Environment Agency confirmed it was three feet above the normal level.
Flooding could have caused �250m worth of damage to the city.
Low pressure over the North Sea had caused a surge of tidal water to travel down the north east coast, hitting the Humber in the early evening.
David Wilkes, the Environment Agency's flood risk manager said: "After the flood of 1969 there was a need for something to be done to protect the city of Hull, and last night the Hull tidal barrier justified itself.
"It protected around 1,800 properties by keeping back hundreds of tonnes of water which would have caused an estimated �250m of damage if it hit the city centre."
The barrier was closed for five hours before the agency gave the all clear.
One-Minute World News 
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