Staff from a West Kirby bistro had to be rescued by the RNLI after getting stranded as waves driven by a spring tide and 50 mph winds battered South Parade.
Video footage shows waves crashing over the town’s new flood wall, with the promenade and side roads becoming flooded, despite the gates along the wall being closed.
The strong winds coincided with a spring tide of 10.1 metres at 12.12pm, leading to the water breaching the wall, which cost over £20 million to complete.
West Kirby Today has been told that workers at Tanskey’s had to be carried to safety as the water was knee deep.
And the boat yard at West Kirby Sailing Club is also understood to be flooded, leading to boats being damaged.
The Environment Agency had issued a flood alert due to the possibility of spray overtopping on the coast from West Kirby to Heswall.
The flooding has prompted another debate on West Kirby Today’s social media pages about whether the wall is effective.
Ali Stratton said: “The council should be held accountable [as] this is shocking work.”
Noel Ring wrote: “Hoping the houses there do not suffer damage. Great to see the expensive, time consuming flood defences working well.”
However, Martijn Van Der Voort said: “Imagine how it would be without that wall…worse.”
And Green Party Councillor Pat Cleary posted on X (formerly Twitter): “The wall isn’t there primarily to stop water. Its purpose is to remove energy from the waves.”
