The giant metal walls keeping London above water
33,209
Published 2024-07-22
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For most of the 20th century, Londoners along the Thames River faced a high risk of floods. Storms like the 1953 North Sea Storm resulted in the deaths of hundreds and the displacement of thousands of people, and spurred discussions on how to protect London from future disasters.
By the 1980s, engineers introduced a solution: the Thames Barrier. This impressive structure comprises multiple moving metal gates that can halt water flow during potential flood events. Since its creation, London has successfully avoided costly storm-related death and destruction, inspiring other coastal cities to model their defense systems after the Thames Barrier.
But today’s changing climate and rising sea levels are challenging the integrity of London’s anti-flood walls. From 1980 to 1990, the barrier was closed only four times; from 2010 to 2020, the barrier was closed 50 times. It was never designed for such frequent use.
In response to evolving weather patterns, the UK government created the Thames Estuary 2100 Plan, a future-looking plan that monitors and adapts the metal gates in response to tide data. With each decade, the plan outlines potential upgrades to the existing barrier and the construction of additional flood defenses. The plan hopes to futureproof London, but whether or not the Thames Barrier will stand the test of time will also depend on how climate change reshapes the world.
Learn more about the Thames Estuary 2100 Plan (TE2100):
www.gov.uk/government/collections/thames-estuary-2…
Read more about why the Thames Barrier is due for an upgrade:
www.ft.com/content/027a0d94-90f6-4841-94c1-b974ac8…
Read more about the imminent risks to the flood defense walls:
www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/30/before…
Dive into the data about Thames Barrier closures:
www.gov.uk/guidance/the-thames-barrier
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All Comments (21)
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Obligatory Dutch person bragging about the Delta works comment: Pfff, that's nothing compared to the Delta works on the Schelde in Zeeland.
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As a U.K. citizen (who went to the Thames barrier on school trips back in the day) I must admit I LOL’d at the compliment about the U.K. government’s willingness to plan for the future… if only! 😂
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put pickford in the river
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Nice to see this guy is a Colin Furze fan. Keep on Digging picture hanging behind him. 😂
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I am fairly certain the UK did not inspire the Dutch who have been doing the draining of the Polder for over 200 years now with all sorts of dams and barriers.
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I had the pleasure of working for one of the divers responsible for welding/assembling much of the barrier's "doors"
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Meanwhile everyone who isn't London in the UK is left to fend for themselves.
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I regularly cross the Thames on the Woolwich ferry and the barrier is only half a mile away, so a great view to behold every time.
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2:33 Keep on Digging Colinfurze!
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Ultimately, this is a band-aid on the bullet hole that is Climate Change.
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The more they’re used, the faster they deteriorate? I’ll need a source on that.
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How be it, we find no graffiti adorning said structures?
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I visited that part of East London
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Just in time for UFC 304
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Great video, thank you
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Where does the water upstream from the barrier go?
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Didn't Tom Scott already make a video about this?
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Years back i remember there was an episode on either discovery or natgeo.
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interesting video
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Americans trying to use metric challenge: 520m, 9000 tons (should be 9000 tonnes), 118 _large swimming pools_...
