Fourteen households in a vulnerable Norfolk coastal community have been told to abandon their homes immediately, as an approaching severe storm threatens to send the cliffs beneath them crashing onto the beach.
Imminent Danger from a 'Weather Bomb'
Great Yarmouth Borough Council issued the urgent evacuation order for properties on The Marrams and Fakes Road in Hemsby on Thursday 8 January 2026. Officials stated that the homes face "imminent collapse" due to the combined impact of Storm Goretti, which forecasters describe as a rapidly deepening 'weather bomb'. Residents have been advised they should not occupy their homes from Thursday night and throughout the coming weekend.
The council, acting as the local coastal management authority, revealed that more than 10 metres (32 feet) of land has already been lost to erosion in recent bad weather. The accelerating rate of erosion has pushed the clifftop homes into an "even more precarious position," leaving no safe alternative to evacuation.
Trauma for Homeowners as Demolition Looms
A council spokesperson acknowledged the profound distress caused to residents, stating: "It is extremely traumatic for those affected, but coastal experts say there is a real risk of collapse." The authority confirmed that safe demolition of the threatened properties now needs to be carried out as a matter of urgency.
The decision followed a detailed assessment of the crumbling cliff line. "We have been liaising closely with people affected by erosion in Hemsby for some time," the council said. "But the recent spate of storms and forecast of further damage from Storm Goretti means doing nothing is simply not an option with the rate of erosion we face." Homeowners are being offered support and advice by council staff on the ground in the village.
A Long-Standing Battle with the Sea
This crisis is the latest chapter in Hemsby's long struggle against coastal erosion. The village sits on one of the fastest eroding coastlines in northern Europe. Other residents have been forced from their homes in previous years, including a series of demolitions in December 2023 after properties became uninhabitable.
The council spokesperson linked the intensifying threat directly to broader environmental changes, noting: "Our coastline is one of the fastest eroding in northern Europe and climate change means there will inevitably be further loss of land." The priority remains public safety, with residents and visitors urged to stay clear of the dune face. Parts of the beach may be closed as a precaution.
The community now faces a devastating reality as Storm Goretti approaches, underscoring the increasing vulnerability of UK coastal settlements to extreme weather and rising sea levels.
