The Thames Barrier Holds Back the Sea Until 2070. Then What?

The Thames Barrier has protected London from North Sea storm surges since 1982. But the Environment Agency expects it to stop providing the protection London needs by 2070, and plans to replace it by then. How does London's flood barrier work, and what comes after it? From the 1953 North Sea flood to Charles Draper's gas-tap idea, ten rotating steel gates at Woolwich, 221 closures, and the Thames Estuary 2100 (TE2100) plan: a decision on what replaces the barrier by 2040, and a new defence in place by 2070. 0:00 The Thames Barrier and Its 2070 Deadline 1:13 Why London Floods: Tides, Storm Surges, Sinking Land 3:05 The 1953 North Sea Flood 4:29 Choosing a Barrier: Bondi, Woolwich and a Gas Tap 6:29 Building the Thames Barrier, 1974-1984 8:56 How the Thames Barrier Works: 10 Rotating Steel Gates 10:13 Who Decides When the Gates Close 11:04 221 Closures and the Record Winter of 2013-14 13:31 Sea Level Rise: Why 2070 Matters 14:51 Thames Estuary 2100: What Replaces the Barrier Subscribe:    / @concreteandtide   Watch next, the Dutch answer to the 1953 storm:    • How the Netherlands Built a Wall to Hold B...   SOURCES EA, The Thames Barrier: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-thame... EA, the barrier at 40: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/th... EA, 200th closure (2021): https://www.gov.uk/government/news/th... EA, TE2100 future flood risk: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/managing-... EA, TE2100 updates: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/major-upd... EA, TE2100 costs: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/funding-t... EA, TE2100 15-year review (2026): https://www.gov.uk/government/publica... Essex CC / EA, the 1953 flood (PDF): https://assets.publishing.service.gov... Essex Record Office, the 1953 floods: https://www.essexrecordofficeblog.co.... Met Office, storm surge: https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/lear... Tate, the 1928 flood: https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-br... KentOnline, the 1982 plan: https://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent/new... IMAGE CREDITS (via Wikimedia Commons) CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Thames Barrier, 2018 and 2021, It's No Game: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... and https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... London City Airport & Thames barrier, Mike McBey: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... CC BY 2.5 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Thames Barrier Gate Closing, Kevin Thompson: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Ship passing through Thames Barrier, 1984, © Colin Park: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Gates 6, 5 and 4, © Colin Smith: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Barking Creek Barrier from Tripcock Ness, © Marathon: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Canvey sea wall, © Robert Eva: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Aerial view of Thames Barrier, Kleon3: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Thames Barrier plaque, Terence Eden: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Environment Agency aerial photos, 2017: contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/d... Public domain / CC0: NASA (Landsat 8), US Army (Canvey, 1953), Rijksmuseum, Alex Liivet. Footage: Pexels. Martyn Day, Boyan Minchev, Tom Schönmann, Gül Işık, George Morina, Giang, JR Bradbury, VictoriaMyColours, Christina & Peter, Tom Fisk, Wolfgang Weiser, Erkan Avanoğlu, Magda Ehlers, CreativeAdventurer, dabatepatvideos. Map data: Natural Earth, © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL); elevation: Mapzen/AWS Terrain Tiles. Music and sound: original, generated for this channel. Concrete & Tide: the great works that hold back water, explained on the map. #ThamesBarrier #London #FloodDefence