The Big Flood of 1953

Available for over a year

Jonathan Freedland presents the programme which looks at the past behind the present. As storms and floods continue to hit UK, Jonathan and his team go on location to investigate the Big Flood of 1953, the worst natural disaster to affect Britain in the 20th century. The clearest legacy of the 1953 flood was the Thames Barrage, safeguarding London from future inundations. He asks what lessons were learned in 1953 and what the future is for the nation's flood defences when government departments are under pressure to cut budgets. Producer Neil McCarthy.