Abstract：

The Thames Estuary region,centered on London,was an important external window to England and a place where cities flourished. The Thames Estuary suffered from frequent and severe marine storm surges in the late Middle Ages,and the damage caused by storm surges was more severe due to the region's higher population density and economic development. In response to the disaster,local and central authorities set up basic disaster response mechanisms,with manorial organizations taking on the obligation to repair dykes and drainage,and central authorities overseeing and guiding local maintenance efforts through the establishment of committees. However,at this time,people did not have a scientific understanding of the occurrence of storm surges but saw them as a punishment from God and a witch's wickedness.

Keyword：late Middle Ages; the Thames Estuary; storm surge disaster; social responses;

Published on Journal of Tianjin Normal University(Social Sciences)