Round and round we go - so best add some content.

Many years ago down in Faversham Kent (maybe 1990 ish) I remember a
Northerly wind and 'spring' tides. I had been out at the Shipwrights
Arms way out on the mashes and diverted on the way home to watch the
tide (about midnight). It came up the creek between the sea walls
where all the boats normally in mud berths are tied up to wooden
stagings driven into the creek. The tide just kept coming - the boats,
floating, were above the stagings and according to the lengths of rope
and the size of the boat were either in distress or mightily trying to
rip the stagings out of the creek bed, and the sea crossed the normal
walkways and came right to the top of the sea wall either side of the
creek. In the odd place where the wall was an inch or so low it came
over, and in other places it was that little bit higher.

If the water had come up another few inches the amount that would have
come over would have been staggering. The supply is undending, this is
not waves splashing, but big volumes pouring over. It was a truly awe
inspiring moment to see the sea just keep rising, and realise that the
tiny bit that poured over wouldn't affect the level at all - it would
just keep coming.

I suppose that is what happened in New Orleans, and one day when the
weather and the tides get the timing right, then it will happen again
here. I think the boys in the estuary suspect that the sea walls are
set so that the Kent and Essex mashes will take the worst out of it
before it heads up the Thames. Who can tell.

Steve

Probably all that swimming.