As thousands of people began cleaning up after record-breaking high tides flooded homes and other buildings along Britain's east coast, ministers warned the crisis was not over yet.
While flood defences and flood warnings leading to mass evacuations in some towns on Thursday night were credited with saving lives, authorities warned that more high tides were expected later on Friday and Saturday.
Although only two people are known to have died in the storms so far– in separate incidents on Thursday – Owen Paterson, the environment secretary, warned that the crisis was not over.
"There will still be exceptionally high tides today and tomorrow, and I would urge everybody to pay very close attention to advice from theEnvironment Agency and also to follow instructions from the police, local government and emergency services."
Despite overnight flooding not being as severe as expected, it still brought disruption to large areas of England on Friday
When Ray Mooney went to his bathroom in Hemsby, Norfolk, on Thursday night and heard two ominous cracks, he thought it wise to heed police advice and leave his home. When he returned an hour later to pick up some paperwork, the phone rang and he answered it. His brother's call may have saved his life: at that moment the rear of his property, a wooden cottage, disappeared into a tumultuous sea that had swept away 30ft of sand dune.