Clean-up begins after the typhoon that never was

At the peak of the surge, waves were lapping just inches below the tops of the walls designed to protect tens of thousands of homes on the East Coast.

Although some minor defences failed to keep out the sea, the effect of the freak weather phenomenon was nowhere near as bad as forecasters had feared.

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In the Norfolk village of Walcott, storms breached the seawall. Many residents took shelter in the local pub.

"I've been here 13 years and it was the worst I've seen it," said Gary Stubbs, 47, who runs the Poachers Pocket.

"We woke up in the night and the waves were big. We've got chalets attached to the pub and we had to get people out of there.

"The lower end of the village took the worst of it and the estate at the bottom was pretty badly damaged."

Thousands were allowed to return home yesterday after spending the night in temporary shelters in Norfolk and Suffolk, the two counties which were expected to bear the brunt of the surge.

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There had been fears that waters could rise by 9ft in Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft, making it the highest tidal surge since 1953 when hundreds were killed.

A spokesman for Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service said the waters peaked at Lowestoft nearly 6ft above the normal level - but below the town's sea defences. Essex and Kent also escaped serious damage after the waters peaked at noon.

The Environment Agency said the threat had passed in areas such as the North-East and Great Yarmouth.

However, a spokesman warned that the Norfolk Broads, which do not drain between tides, were still at risk.

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The agency's chief executive, Baroness Young, added: "Flooding in East Anglia came within a whisker of widespread flooding, with tides in Great Yarmouth the highest they have been since the major flood in 1953."

The tidal surge was caused by low pressure over the North Sea and 50mph winds which forced a mass of water southwards.

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Because the Straits of Dover are narrow, the water had no where to go and sea levels rose. The surge also coincided with an exceptionally strong tide.