After the storms
On Monday evening the flood sirens sounded - the first time in over 30 years. The sea defences were in danger of being breached. The Cove Inn (the building nearest the sea) had waves lashing against it's shuttered windows. It looks such a distance away from the sea in these calmer waters (to read more about it see here)
We have never seen some much jetsam washed ashore before. The storms have also moved all the pebbles and the incline of the beach is now much steeper, (the drop is estimated around 16 foot or 4.8 metres!)
Our plan had been to walk along the shores of Portland harbour on the old disused railway line (the grassy bit in the distance below.)
Looking out for wildlife and watching the wind catching the sails of the boats in the harbour.
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| Turnstone, Oystercatcher, Brent Geese |
The oyster catcher seemed to know we wanted to take a picture of it and played 'catch me if you can' by flying further along the beach everytime we got close. It did this about 4 times!
I feel so much for those who have suffered with the flooding and also the severe cold weather that hit so much of America and Canada last week. I hope this week is calmer and warmer for you all.
Sarah x
Hi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI heard in the news about the very cold and stormy weather in GB... Here in our region the weather is actually too warm for January. It is really crazy, in the States they had enormous minus grades, and we had too warm weather. Hope, you have managed the terribly weather in Devon. Your pictures are so beautiful, it must be gorgeous to live near the sea...
Bine x
What a terrible storm you had there. I am so glad it's over and I hope all the cleanup goes smoothly. The weather has not been kind to anyone lately, it seems. Did you see how hot it has been in Australia? I hope it's a much quieter week for all.
ReplyDeleteMy dear Sarah,
ReplyDeleteWe did have a barrage of cold weather that left most of the eastern seaboard in a shambles. Here in the Midwest, we had record lows that paralyzed businesses and schools! But today, we are back to normal temperatures, with a calm feeling in the cool air.
I hope you have not suffered too much flooding, and that spring will bring us ALL color, renewed vision and JOY.
Hugs to you and Miss Daisy! Anita
Isn`t it amazing how quickly the sea can change a coastline?
ReplyDeleteLovely photos of your walk. That day of blue sky and calm sea will have to keep us going for a while. We are back to torrential rain this evening.
Looks like the area may need a new map drawing up! I hadn't seen the article about the Pom Pom, so thank you for the link.
ReplyDeleteYour pictures are stunning as always Sarah. That beach looks like a beachcomber delight....and I see quite a few folk were seeing what the storm had blown in.
ReplyDeleteIt's been scary weather over the past few weeks and I'm glad you are O.K.
Jacquie x
Lovely photos - and although the calm really doesn't convey how terrible the weather must have been all that flotsam does give some idea (I've never seen so much, what a shame). We feel so lucky to have come off pretty unscathed. Juliex
ReplyDeleteI was just wondering about you when I saw that you'd just posted. Beautiful pictures after such horrible storms, the beach certainly needs a clean up, our beach here had pickers picking up yesterday, I see today that there were piles ready for collections, hopefully it's collected before the winds blow. The sea broke under the sea walls here and washed away a large section of pavement. It was nice to see the sun yesterday as the gloom can get everyone down. Sadly the rain is back this evening.
ReplyDeleteYou live in such a gorgeous part of the country,amazing to see how it has changed with the severity of the storms.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear all is well. Amazing to see those beautiful skies. Just lovely.
ReplyDeleteYour photos are lovely, it's hard to believe you've had the weather you've had looking at these photos! Up here, we've had some very windy and wet days, but we not like in the south and we don't have the same problems with flooding here either - we just get wet fields really! I can't imagine what it must be like to suffer flooding.
ReplyDeleteThe sea has re-arranged our beaches somewhat and we may have to do some early beach cleans this year (unless it all gets washed away again, which might happen). Horrid amounts of trash afloat..
ReplyDeleteWow, that is an amazing (and horrifying!) amount of stuff to be washed up on the beach isn't it. Shocking what the weather and water can do isn't it. It looks as though you had a lovely walk with the sun shining which makes all the difference doesn't it! xx
ReplyDeleteThe weather on Saturday was extraordinary - we were up and out early - great huge sun coming up in the sky, it was just as if the storms had been a fragment of our imagination. However, for those that have been flooded the reality must be a nightmare.
ReplyDeleteWhat an incredible amount of flotsam and jetsam has been washed up onto the beach - the tidy up the beach brigade will be very busy. Glad that you are safe.
Such beautiful photos, especially the oystercatcher. Quite amazing how destructive the sea has been, I hope you beaches are cleared up soon.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos Sarah. Hope you managed to keep safe during the storms.
ReplyDeleteI have been thinking of you, Weymouth has featured so often on the weather reports. Glad all is well x
ReplyDeleteFlood warnings arebthe worst, you just cant stop the sea if it decides its coming for you. X
ReplyDeleteI too, am sorry for those who have been suffering from weather extremes. It makes the beauty you captured in your photos all the more amazing when compared to the destruction. Thanks for posting, Sarah. xx
ReplyDeleteIt's wonderful to see some calm and sunshine after the storms (and those beautiful blue skies). You did take a lovely pic of the Oystercatcher, even though it gave you the runaround! I love to see the other birds, too, enjoying calmer waters. It's a real shame about all the jetsam, - although I'm imagine the beach-lovers will be tackling it.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing amount of bits and pieces washed up on the beach! Lovely photos.
ReplyDeleteLiz @ Shortbread & Ginger
So lovely to see Chesil - one of my favourite places in the world - thank you. I really must get to Weymouth this year!
ReplyDeleteHello Sarah, Amazing how the Sea can be so calm and then have so much fiery.. What a collection of Jetsam came ashore. But what a gorgeous color of the Sea after the storm...Thanks for your concern about our dreadful weather here in the states.. I wish Winter would jump to Spring tomorrow.. Hugs Judy
ReplyDeleteThat must have been very frightening to hear the flood siren sound. Incredible to think the storm actually changed the incline of the beach! Hopefully the weather takes a turn for the better, and the damage can be fixed.
ReplyDeleteHello Sarah
ReplyDeleteGosh that must have been scary hearing the sirens go off. Looking a lot calmer now. There is a lot of debris on the beach in your photo dear me!
Hope all is calm with you all now.
Lovely photo of the oyster catcher x
Wow. I am amazed! I live in the northern Great Lakes region of America and it. was. cold! I feel as if im here in your corner of the world whenever I visit your blog. Such beauty!
ReplyDeleteCarrie.
Such devastation Sarah! Feel really sorry for those poor folk who have had floods since Christmas already! So glad though that you and your family are not in any danger of flooding. Take care xx
ReplyDeleteWhen you wrote America, I am not sure if you were aware of the extreme cold in central Canada. For nearly a month, our temps were hovering around the minus 50C mark (taking into consideration the effect of the wind - called windchill). For three days now, we have had unusually warm temps for Jan. We hit minus 1C!!!
ReplyDeleteMyra, from Winnipeg, Canada
Hi Myra, Sorry I had heard that Canada had extreme cold temperatures too and sorry I forgot to mention Canada too. I didn't realise however that you had suffered for so long. I think -5C is so cold and I can't imagine what -50C feels like! Hope those warm temperatures remain with you now.
DeleteSarah x
What an awful storm. I would enjoy doing the beach clean-up. I'm sure there are some interesting things to be found. I like the birds playing with you. As usual the photos are lovely. Glad you are safe and sound. Be well. Kim
ReplyDeleteThey were awful storms weren't they. Thank goodness all is calm again. I can't believe just how much gets swept ashore and so another clean up I guess. I love your photos Sarah and the Oyster Catcher ooks very smug at giving you the run around.
ReplyDeletePatricia x
We went for a walk along Porth Kidney Sands in Lelant on Saturday and a huge swathe of sand dune has been washed away by the sea. The boys were gutted because their favourite place to run down the dunes has disappeared. So sad.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous pictures. Such a lovely blue. And lovely birds too!!
Leanne xx
Dear Sarah,
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about the storms lashing some of your coasts - looks awful on the news we have seen on TV.
Glad that it is calm now and I enjoyed seeing all your lovely photos. Love the one with the red, white and blue sailing boats.
Happy week
hugs
Carolyn
Good to hear things are more or less back to normal.
ReplyDeleteI heard on the news where people volunteered to help clean up the beaches.
Good things can come out of bad happenings and it looks like your community spirit has string foundations.
My daughter is across the channel in France and they have had a very mild winter in the main.
Love the birds - Oyster Catcher's are very shy and difficult to photograph - I've tried many times without one single photo!
It is such a pretty part of the English coast.
Shane in New Zealand
The coast has taken a real battering this year - can't believe the amount of rubbish on the beach. Your pictures are lovely as usual.
ReplyDeleteHello Sarah
ReplyDeleteWhat strange weather...It must be so scary to be caught up in these awful floods
All that rubbish is a disgrace, just shows you what is out there destroying this fragile earth...
beautiful images in the sunshine
Thea xx
Hello dear Sarah....I hope the storms have left you and that now, sunshine has poured down upon you all! But I guess we can try to find beauty even in the difficulties brought on by such events. I pray you are well! Thank you for coming to visit. Anita
ReplyDeleteWe've been very lucky so far as there's been very little flooding. My heart goes out to all those people who saw their houses damaged by the weather. Your photos are beautiful as always. Did you find any treasures among the all that jetsam?
ReplyDeleteWe didn't go down on the beach as we had Daisy with us. They are planning a huge beach clean this weekend that we will try to get to.
DeleteSarah x
Thanks for the post Sarah. I heard that the beaches around Plymouth have changed shape and some are unrecognisable from the way they were. Torbay is sheltered enough so we seem ok, but I can't wait for better weather, to get down to St Marys Bay and see what's changed as it's much wilder on that side.
ReplyDeleteWhat a difference to the beach! Mother Nature sure has been hitting us hard this last little while....I hope it's over for this winter......
ReplyDeleteAnne
You realize the power of the sea & rainstorms when you see the shoreline change drastically.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the visit to Portland.
ReplyDeleteThe weather around the world is crazy. The Polar Vortex in the midwest, flooding in your area an extreme heat on our part of the coast right now. It was 86 degrees today and sparkling on the water.
Your beach looks so rugged compared to the one I live near! I have never seen that kind of flotsam! I live about 20 minutes from the coast of SC .You seem to have a lot of stones or rocks not far from the beach. Our beaches here in the South are sandy and much more gentle looking, I would say ;-).
ReplyDeleteYour pictures are great, but the people involved with all this weather- it's so hard. We had so much cold and snow but it has settled down now for a bit. I hope it has gotten better there too.
ReplyDeleteYes we had these storms too, almost scary at the time. I love how you treasure your surroundings and feel for the those who are vulnerable in the heat of the fury too:~)
ReplyDeleteThe storms have caused so much damage to the coastline, it's amazing how much it can change the landscape. It's nice to see a little bit of sunshine in the pictures, it seems to have been very grey lately.
ReplyDelete