Did London flood before the Thames barrier was built?

The solution was to build embankments and higher river walls, but floods in 1928 and 1953 led to the development of proposals to raise the height of bank levels and install a barrier with movable gates. The 1972 Thames Barrier Act and Flood Protection Act followed and the GLC set to work.



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The 520-metre Thames Barrier has protected Londoners from more than 100 tidal floods since the early 1980s.

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The barrier prevents this from happening. The gates are left shut and the river water is held until the tide turns. Staff wait for the water on both sides to equalise - reach the same level - and then the gate is opened and the river water can rush out into the estuary.

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