Hemsby one year after tidal surges destroyed homes
(Level: Intermediate to Upper-Intermediate / B2 to C1 / ***)

One year ago, on the night of 5th December 2013, the biggest tidal surge for 60 years battered the Norfolk coast and washed homes and a lifeboat station away...

Hemsby, Norfolk, UK
Picture credit: www.bbc.co.uk

You can see some BBC footage of the destruction from a helicopter: click HERE



One year on the locals have been working hard to try and protect their village from any further surge. 

You are going to watch a BBC report focusing on that issue. 
BBC's Jo Black is interviewing one of the Save Hemsby Coastline campaigners.

Hemsby, Norfolk, England
Map credit: en.wikipedia.org

Before watching:


The following words could be useful:
the surge: large wave  / tidal wave        raz-de-marée  
the lifeboat station: a station where boats used to save people's lives       poste de bateaux de sauvetage
a scheme: an official plan     dispositif / programme d'action ... 

Washed away by the surge
Photo credit: www.telegraph.co.uk

While watching:


Answer the following questions in French:

1. What was the interviewee's personal experience like during that night? 
2. The interviewee says that they (the locals and he) are developing a lot of different schemes: what does he mean?

You can also watch the video on the BBC site: click HERE

When you are finished, check your answers:

1

Il a vu le poste de bateaux de sauvetage,un bâtiment robuste en briques, être soulevé et emporté par les vagues en à peine une demi-heure.

Il n'avait encore jamais vu de tempêtes similaires à celle-là!  Et il avait peur, tout comme les habitants de la localité.

(Apparemment: il aurait vu des maisons disparaître dans les flots...)

2

Poser de gros blocs de béton dans les zones fragilisées.

Installer des clôtures / palissades  - rempart naturel - pour permettre au sable de s'y engouffrer et de consolider les structures; il faut encore en installer sur une distance d'un kilomètre et demi.

Tenter de défendre au mieux les habitations les plus vulnérables (celles juchées au sommet des falaises notamment).

Faire appel aux aides gouvernementales.

...

If you are interested, you can watch the report and do the activity that was posted last year on this blog: click HERE