The car park at Sandwich Quay suffered some flooding

The threat of flooding had passed without major incident by Friday afternoon, it added.

Higham Marshes, Seasalter, Pegwell Bay, Folkestone and Sandwich Quay were all on alert for the surge at high tide.

A rescue operation helped save three surfers who became trapped on rocks at Joss Bay, Broadstairs.

Three flood warnings and five flood watches were stood down in Kent, with the Environment Agency saying the coastline had "escaped major flooding as the tidal surge failed to overtop sea defences".

Force six winds

There was minor flooding in some places, including the car park at Sandwich Quay, while high waves posed a potential threat in Broadstairs and Deal.

In Sheerness, north Kent, the Met Office said the storm surge peaked at 2.7m (9ft) above normal sea levels.

The Environment Agency's Harvey Bradshaw said: "We have been very fortunate to avoid widespread flooding.

"Coastal flood defences protected up to 10,000 homes."

Ron Bowles took this photo of a surfer being rescued at Joss Bay

Assistant Chief Constable Allyn Thomas, of Kent Police, said: "We're pleased the tidal surge passed with little incident."

Residents were on alert overnight into Friday morning, while the flood warnings were in place.

An Environment Agency incident room and a Gold Command centre at Kent Police headquarters were on standby, but they were closed down once the threat had passed by Friday afternoon.

Three surfers at Joss Bay became the centre of a coastguard, lifeboat and police rescue operation at about 1130 GMT.

Two of them were winched to safety up the cliff face.

The third managed to make his way along the base of the cliffs to a nearby beach, but only after waves powered by force six winds battered him against the rocks on at least two occasions.

None of the surfers required any medical treatment.