A RECOVERY operation began in earnest throughout North East Lincolnshire yesterday, as residents came to terms with Thursday's wild weather.
Grimsby and Cleethorpes had a relatively lucky escape compared to the rest of the East Coast when gale force winds, combined with a high tide, caused damage and flooding.
Yesterday morning, the emergency services and other authorities were prepared for more incidents at high tide, but it passed without major incident, despite a small breach near Wonderland car park.
Environment Agency teams were out in the borough checking for leaks and damage along the flood defences and embankments.
As of 10.30am, there had been no further evacuations, evacuees returned home, and respite centres were stood down.
Work continued throughout the day at various locations and at 2.30pm, North East Lincolnshire Council's incident room was stood down, with the authority reporting that tide levels were subsiding and that the weather was steady.
"We are dealing with matters such as the beach area clean-up and individual localised issues as required," said a spokesperson.
"All roads are operating as normal except for the those close to the Central Promenade and North Promenade in Cleethorpes."
Councillor Chris Shaw, the leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, speaking yesterday, said: "I'd like to personally thank everyone who helped out during this emergency.
"We had countless offers of help, from the community, from organisations and from the emergency services.
"Our various teams worked with colleagues from a range of agencies through the night, and continue to work today to monitor the flood levels and make sure the vulnerable and those at risk are safe.
"It was a terrific job by everyone in North East Lincolnshire and showed the community and can-do spirit the area's renowned for.
"Our thoughts are with those currently experiencing any level of flooding throughout not only northern Lincolnshire and the Humber, but also the rest of the country."
