500 pray as Norfolk flood disaster is averted

As the highest flood waters for 50 years threatened the East Coast early on Friday morning (November 9, 2007), up to 500 Christians across Norfolk were praying that the wind would die down and the sea would not flood.

 

Jill Gower from Norfolk Call to Prayer issued the plea to pray on Thursday evening, following a call from a worker at Norfolk County Council who said that they had been put on red alert and that the emergency forces were expecting very bad conditions.

 

Jill urged her contacts across the county to: “Pray that the wind will die down and the sea will not flood in the way they are expecting.

 

“I sent it to all on the Call to Prayer e-mail list and I know other groups were praying too. I should think about 500 were praying but that is just a guess. We just know that God heard our cry because it was so extra ordinary.”

 

Yarmouth was just 20cms from disaster according to official sources. Chief Supt Ray Adcock said that the town had come very close to disaster: “Until 5am on Friday we were being lashed with hail and strong winds but then it suddenly abated and I think that’s what saved us,” he said.

 

Peter Gillett from Thrigby said: “We heard on the grapevine that there was a wind shift around the time the surge hit Yarmouth yesterday morning and it seems the wind pushed the high tide away from us.

 

“The severe flooding of the tidal waterways just never happened. We expected the water to be well above the quay where our boat is moored near Acle Bridge but it hardly covered the grass next to the boat Praise God for his mighty hand of protection.

 

Veronica Buxton from The Pleasaunce Holiday Centre on the coast at Overstrand near Cromer, said: “I was standing praying on the cliff last night and very early this morning. God is so good. Lots of beach huts are gone and we now no longer have a rail over the concrete walking area.”

 

Gorleston minister Tony Ward said: “As one of those who sits on the edge of Norfolk, thank God for all those who prayed.”

 

Jill said: “What a mighty God we serve. A very severe flood was expected and it just didn't happen. We know the Lord heard the prayers of the saints, and the storm abated. Let’s give Him all the glory and thanks for sparing our region.”