Post by Taxigirl on Nov 2, 2003 11:30:28 GMT
The great October storm.
The winds which swept across southern Britain in October 1987 left the worst-hit areas totally devastated.
The storm uprooted millions of trees, ripped roofs off buildings, destroyed cars and even reduced an Isle of Wight pier to a pile of flotsam.
Many parts of the country were cut off from power and 18 people lost their lives in winds which reached 100 mph (161 km/h) in parts of the UK.
Open the picture gallery in the middle column to view some images of the damage caused by the severe weather.
Storm stories:-
It was my sister's 18th birthday that night and her shortlist of venues was down to a nightclub or Shanklin pier. The pier was no more by the morning, so I think she made a good choice!
Matthew Hampshire, UK
I lived in a valley on the Sussex coast and I was only 15 at the time. The valley acted like a wind funnel.
Our road was in complete chaos at about 0500. The camper van up the road was upside down in the middle of the road and the caravan five doors up had gone to the neighbours.
I watched a seven foot by six foot fence panel fly from the left of our back garden into the neighbour's house on the right. It was at that point that my father and I decided to bring the rabbit hutch indoors.
I watched dustbin lids and tiles flying through the air like cruise missiles.
I went up the shop to do my paper-round at 0700 and it was still very windy. Needless to say no papers arrived as all the roads to our area were cut off by fallen trees.
Now I live in the pacific I can expect to experience a real cyclone.
Rob Matson, Vanuatu, UK ex-pat
Horrendous. My little brother had his seventh birthday on the day of the storm. As I remember, it didn't start until after I went to bed. I was only nine.
remember waking up in the middle of the night and calling my mum because I thought there were burglars in the roof. She told me that there was a bit of a storm and that's what I could hear.
It turned out that so many roof-tiles had been ripped off in the storm overnight, that it was one of my old tricycles rolling up and down the loft in the wind.
In the morning we found cars smashed to pieces by the falling trees. Our neighbour's car was simply lying under a tree outside our front door.
Mum and dad watched the back garden fence and gate fly around and trap the cat. They couldn't get out into the garden to rescue her whilst the wind was blowing though, so a rescue effort was launched in the morning! She was OK... She lived until last year...
Lindy, Devon, UK
I was 12 when this happened and I was going to the doctor. We managed to get there even though trees were scattered everywhere, but when my dad dropped me off at school there was hardly anyone there, and about one hour later they decided to close the school for the day.
So one of my teachers had to drive me home. I remember we couldn't go the usual way as I lived near Burnham Beeches, and it was impassable, so we had to go the long way round.
Beccy, Wigan
was living in London on the day of the great storm. I got up to get ready for work and put on the kettle as usual.
I noticed there were twigs all over the kettle, and then looked to my left where the kitchen window, er, used to be! There was a massive branch from a tree coming through the window. My cat was sitting on it as if it was perfectly natural for a tree branch to be in my kitchen!
I tried to go to work, but the driver of the bus I was on came across a fallen tree, and so we were going no further. It was a memorable day and I do remember how much flack the met office got because they did not forecast it.
Henry O'Donovan, Sydney, Australia
The winds which swept across southern Britain in October 1987 left the worst-hit areas totally devastated.
The storm uprooted millions of trees, ripped roofs off buildings, destroyed cars and even reduced an Isle of Wight pier to a pile of flotsam.
Many parts of the country were cut off from power and 18 people lost their lives in winds which reached 100 mph (161 km/h) in parts of the UK.
Open the picture gallery in the middle column to view some images of the damage caused by the severe weather.
Storm stories:-
It was my sister's 18th birthday that night and her shortlist of venues was down to a nightclub or Shanklin pier. The pier was no more by the morning, so I think she made a good choice!
Matthew Hampshire, UK
I lived in a valley on the Sussex coast and I was only 15 at the time. The valley acted like a wind funnel.
Our road was in complete chaos at about 0500. The camper van up the road was upside down in the middle of the road and the caravan five doors up had gone to the neighbours.
I watched a seven foot by six foot fence panel fly from the left of our back garden into the neighbour's house on the right. It was at that point that my father and I decided to bring the rabbit hutch indoors.
I watched dustbin lids and tiles flying through the air like cruise missiles.
I went up the shop to do my paper-round at 0700 and it was still very windy. Needless to say no papers arrived as all the roads to our area were cut off by fallen trees.
Now I live in the pacific I can expect to experience a real cyclone.
Rob Matson, Vanuatu, UK ex-pat
Horrendous. My little brother had his seventh birthday on the day of the storm. As I remember, it didn't start until after I went to bed. I was only nine.
remember waking up in the middle of the night and calling my mum because I thought there were burglars in the roof. She told me that there was a bit of a storm and that's what I could hear.
It turned out that so many roof-tiles had been ripped off in the storm overnight, that it was one of my old tricycles rolling up and down the loft in the wind.
In the morning we found cars smashed to pieces by the falling trees. Our neighbour's car was simply lying under a tree outside our front door.
Mum and dad watched the back garden fence and gate fly around and trap the cat. They couldn't get out into the garden to rescue her whilst the wind was blowing though, so a rescue effort was launched in the morning! She was OK... She lived until last year...
Lindy, Devon, UK
I was 12 when this happened and I was going to the doctor. We managed to get there even though trees were scattered everywhere, but when my dad dropped me off at school there was hardly anyone there, and about one hour later they decided to close the school for the day.
So one of my teachers had to drive me home. I remember we couldn't go the usual way as I lived near Burnham Beeches, and it was impassable, so we had to go the long way round.
Beccy, Wigan
was living in London on the day of the great storm. I got up to get ready for work and put on the kettle as usual.
I noticed there were twigs all over the kettle, and then looked to my left where the kitchen window, er, used to be! There was a massive branch from a tree coming through the window. My cat was sitting on it as if it was perfectly natural for a tree branch to be in my kitchen!
I tried to go to work, but the driver of the bus I was on came across a fallen tree, and so we were going no further. It was a memorable day and I do remember how much flack the met office got because they did not forecast it.
Henry O'Donovan, Sydney, Australia