Editing Thames Barrier (section)

===Barrier closures and incidents===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right; float:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em;"
|+ Closures per season (Sept–May) and&nbsp;flooding source 
|-
! Season 
! Tidal
! Combined <br> tidal/ <br> fluvial
! Total<br><ref name="GOV.UK-Guidance">{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-thames-barrier |title=The Thames Barrier |author1=<!--No personal author name given.--> |department=Environment Agency |website=GOV.UK |date=25 April 2014 |orig-date=last updated 5 September 2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241113154040/https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-thames-barrier |archive-date=2024-11-13}}</ref>
|-
|1982–83
|1
|0
|1
|-
|1983–84
|0
|0
|0
|-
|1984–85
|0
|0
|0
|-
|1985–86
|0
|1
|1
|-
|1986–87
|1
|0
|1
|-
|1987–88
|0
|0
|0
|-
|1988–89
|1
|0
|1
|-
|1989–90
|1
|3
|4
|-
|1990–91
|2
|0
|2
|-
|1991–92
|0
|0
|0
|-
|1992–93
|4
|0
|4
|-
|1993–94
|3
|4
|7
|-
|1994–95
|2
|2
|4
|-
|1995–96
|4
|0
|4
|-
|1996–97
|1
|0
|1
|-
|1997–98
|1
|0
|1
|-
|1998–99
|2
|0
|2
|-
|1999–00
|3
|3
|6
|-
|2000–01
|16
|8
|24
|-
|2001–02
|3
|1
|4
|-
|2002–03
|8
|12
|20
|-
|2003–04
|1
|0
|1
|-
|2004–05
|4
|0
|4
|-
|2005–06
|3
|0
|3
|-
|2006–07
|8
|0
|8
|-
|2007–08
|6
|0
|6
|-
|2008–09
|1
|4
|5
|-
|2009–10
|2
|3
|5
|-
|2010–11
|0
|0
|0
|-
|2011–12
|0
|0
|0
|-
|2012–13
|0
|5
|5
|-
|2013–14
|9
|41
|50
|-
|2014–15
|1
|0
|1
|-
|2015–16
|1
|0
|1
|-
|2016–17
|2
|0
|2
|-
|2017–18
|3
|0
|3
|-
|2018–19
|3
|0
|3
|-
|2019–20
|9
|0
|9
|-
|2020–21
|2
|4
|6
|-
|2021–22
|7
|0
|7
|-
|2022–23
|2
|0
|2
|-
|2023–24
|2
|11
|13
|-
|2024–25
|0
|0
|0
|-
! Totals
|'''119'''
|'''102'''
|'''221'''
|}

{{As of|2024|May}}, there have been 221 flood defence closures.<ref name="GOV.UK-Guidance" /> The barrier was closed twice on 9 November 2007 after a [[North Sea flood of 2007|storm surge]] in the North Sea which was compared to the one in 1953.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--No author named.--> |date=9 November 2007 |title=North Sea flood tide fears recede |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/7086175.stm |work=BBC News |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630014628/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/7086175.stm |archive-date=2020-06-30}}</ref> The main danger of flooding from the surge was on the coast above the Thames Barrier, where evacuations took place, but the winds abated a little and, at the Thames Barrier, the 9 November 2007 storm surge did not completely coincide with high tide.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pol.ac.uk/home/news/2007-11stormsurge.html |title=Surge of 9 November 2007-11-09 |author=<!--No author named.--> |date=9 November 2007 |department=[[Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory]] |publisher=[[Natural Environment Research Council]] |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120221223805/http://www.pol.ac.uk/home/news/2007-11stormsurge.html |archive-date=2012-02-21}}</ref>

On 20 August 1989, hours after the [[Marchioness disaster|''Marchioness'' disaster]], the barrier was closed against a spring tide for 16 hours "to assist the diving and salvage operations".<ref name="maib-marchioness-3">{{cite report |url=https://www.gov.uk/maib-reports/collision-between-aggregates-dredger-bowbelle-and-passenger-vessel-marchioness-on-the-river-thames-england-resulting-in-marchioness-sinking-with-loss-of-51-lives |title=Report of the Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents into the collision between the passenger launch ''Marchioness'' and MV ''Bowbelle'' with loss of life on the River Thames on 20 August 1989 |date=5 June 1990 |publisher=[[Department of Transport]], [[Marine Accident Investigation Branch]] |section=Part III |format=PDF |access-date=12 March 2021}}</ref>

The barrier has survived 15 boat collisions without serious damage.<ref name=telegraph-20140218>{{cite news |last=Hanlon |first=Michael |author-link=Michael Hanlon |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/weather/10646439/The-Thames-Barrier-has-saved-London-but-is-it-time-for-TB2.html |url-access=subscription |title=The Thames Barrier has saved London – but is it time for TB2? |newspaper=The Telegraph |location=London |date=18 February 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161112091127/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/weather/10646439/The-Thames-Barrier-has-saved-London-but-is-it-time-for-TB2.html |archive-date=2016-11-12}}</ref>

On 27 October 1997, the barrier was damaged when the [[dredger]] MV ''Sand Kite'' hit one of the piers in thick fog. As the ship started to sink she dumped her 3,300-tonne load of aggregate, finally sinking by the bow on top of one of the barrier's gates, where she lay for several days. Initially the gate could not be closed as it was covered in a thick layer of gravel. A longer-term problem was the premature loss of paint on the flat side of the gate caused by abrasion. The vessel was refloated in mid-November 1997.<ref name="maib-sand-kite">{{cite report |url=https://www.gov.uk/maib-reports/contact-made-by-dredger-sand-carrier-sand-kite-with-the-thames-flood-barrier-river-thames-england-resulting-in-flooding-and-partial-sinking-of-vessel |title=Report of the Inspector's Inquiry into the collision of MV ''Sand Kite'' with the Thames Flood Barrier on 27 October 1997 |date=April 1999 |publisher=[[Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions]], [[Marine Accident Investigation Branch]] |format=PDF |access-date=12 March 2021}}</ref>

The annual full test closure in 2012 was scheduled for 3 June to coincide with the [[Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant|Thames pageant]] celebrating the [[Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II]]. [[Environment Agency]] said the pageant provided "a unique opportunity to test its design for a longer period than we would normally be able to", and performance under conditions of "a higher water level upstream than downstream"; also that the "more stable tidal conditions … in central London … will help the vessels taking part".<ref name="bbc-test-closure">{{cite news |title=Thames Barrier test closure to be on Jubilee pageant day |date=6 March 2012 |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-17266139 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210313032146/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-17266139 |archive-date=2021-03-13}}</ref>