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Environment Main Global Warming Natural Disasters Habitats FRESHWATER

Photo Gallery: Floods

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Storm-driven tidal surges have caused England's Thames River to flood repeatedly, and occasionally catastrophically, throughout its history. To protect London, the government constructed the Thames Barrier, an engineering marvel that spans the river and uses six gargantuan moveable gates to block floodwaters before they reach the city. The gates lie flat on the bottom when not in use to facilitate river traffic. Photograph by Tim Gartside/Alamy