It’s no secret that the Yorkshire Coast has been dramatically impacted by coastal erosion over the past century. The East Yorkshire coastline recedes on average six metres a year with some areas falling back 12 to 15 metres.
The east coast of England in particular has suffered most notably so, with Spurn Point being a prime example of the effects the issue can have. The Holderness coastline being hit particularly hard – as well as a number of people sadly losing their homes in East Anglia.
The most recent East Yorkshire victims of coastal erosion include Mappleton, who required emergency sea defences to protect their town from falling into the sea in the 1990s, and Spurn Point which was close to being demolished in 2013.
ITV spoke to Gemma Brown, who lives in Ulrome near Hornsea who discussed how the North Sea is coming “closer and closer” to her house. She moved eight years ago and says the recent storms have increased the threat.
Read More: The Yorkshire Coast Pub That Sits On One Of The Fastest-Eroding Coastlines In Europe
She continued: “I still reckon we’ve got a few more years but if it’s taking it how it has in the last couple of months we’ve got less time. I think it’s long gone what they can do to stop it to be honest. There used to be a wall and as soon as that got taken down it’s just eaten it [the coastline] away so I’m not sure what they can do to prevent it.”
ITV also reported that Dr Eddie Dempsey, a lecturer in structural geology at the University of Hull, said that climate change was causing more frequent storms and more rainfall which weakens the sediment, causing cliffs to collapse.
“Climate change is here and now… We’ve been warning about it for 30 years, saying things will change in the future. We are going to have to learn to live with landslides and erosion on the coast.”
Read more: England Is Set To Be Home To The World’s Longest Coastal Path This Year
Feature Image Credit: Photo © Mat Fascione (cc-by-sa/2.0)
