Nancy, I think they Grimsby tour guides are using a fair bit of latitude here. Most of the fatalities of that terrible night were from flooding, concentrated in Canvey Island in Essex. It was the lower North Sea that filled up with a succesion of Easterly winds, that backed suddenly to cause extensive flooding, and loss of life in the Low Countries. High winds did cause the tragedy, but this epic song, I think, commemorates a storm during the 19th century.

Skipjack (On the Essex coast tonight, and loving it!)