Towyn floods

This plaque is sited at the entrance to a park just off the main road in Towyn, North Wales. It acknowledges the 1990 floods that inundated the area.

This from BBC news

The combination of strong onshore winds, low pressure and spring tides caused severe flooding and damage. North-westerly gales and a deep low pressure raised the sea level by 1.5m (4.9ft), creating a storm surge in the Irish Sea. This surge, combined with a high tide and large waves, overwhelmed the sea defences.

The worst affected area was the coastal stretch from Pensarn to Kinmel Bay. In Towyn, the sea breached a railway embankment and hundreds of tonnes of sea-water rushed through the streets flooding hundreds of homes and caravans. The flooding happened without warning and people stranded in their homes by the floods had to be rescued.

About 5,000 people had to be evacuated and most could not return home for months afterwards. Others had to wait years to move back into their properties.

Experts believe that this was a one in a 500 to 1,000 year event and the town took a number of years to fully recover from the devastation.