When the Great 87 Storm caused devastation in Hastings and Rother

As we approach the anniversary of a night when hurricane force winds resulted in a swathe of devastation across Hastings and Rother we will be hearing from local people who experienced it.
Great Storm preview SUS-171110-072143001Great Storm preview SUS-171110-072143001
Great Storm preview SUS-171110-072143001

The South East was completely unprepared for the storm which hit in the early hours of Friday October 16 1987 when hurricane force winds of up to 103mph ripped up trees, tore the roofs from buildings and resulted in the deaths of two people in Hastings.

In next week’s edition we will be showing rare photographs taken in Hastings and Rother in the direct aftermath of the hurricane as well as revealing memories local people have shared with us on how the storm affected them that night.

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Among these memories, Hastings man Kevin Boorman relives a terrifying night time drive through Sussex, headlong into the storm, which he admits he was lucky to survive.

We will be looking at how people reacted to the devastation which was caused and how, in some cases, it changed local landmarks beyond recognition.

We will look at some of the prominent buildings which were damaged and tell of how people had to be evacuated from their homes and moved to temporary refuge centres, following what some referred to as ‘The Big Blast’.

Thousands of people were left without power following the storm while many roads were blocked by fallen trees of masonry.

The storm also resulted in large swathes of the Hastings and Rother area being flooded.