Today the Isle is an island no longer and the erstwhile channel is now flat marshland criss-crossed by drainage ditches . Meanwhile , the exposed chalk cliffs are gradually being worn down by the sea , particularly at the North Foreland . Much else of the coast is a built-up area . The Wantsum area is still liable to flooding : during the North Sea flood of 1953 Thanet was cut off for a few days , but the sea defences have been strengthened since then
North Sea flood of 1953
North Sea flood of 1953
Isle of Thanet