The Great Storm
I’m posting this because of the horrendous storms in the United States. It actually comes from my old blog, which I no longer update.
On the 16th October 1987, we experienced one of the worst storms in the UK. Contrary to popular belief, it was not a hurricane, but it caused more damage than any storm for 300 years.
At the time we lived at Debach, north of Ipswich and we were without electricity for nearly two weeks. Luckily we cooked on a gas AGA and surprisingly the phones kept going.
It is also the time, when I had the narrowest escape of my life.
I’ve always got up early in the morning to work, as it is the best time, when you don’t get interrupted by phone calls or family. But that morning although I was up, I wasn’t in the office as luckily there was no power. At about six-thirty the chimney blew over, came through the roof and went right through where I normally sat.
We’d also turned out two horses in the field that night for the first time. One was an old racehorse, who’d been confined to his box for two years with leg problems and the other was a newly-weaned foal.
They had no problems, as instinct kept them to the safe place in the middle of the field, with their backsides to the wind.
So does the Internet help?
Hopefully the warnings and the weather forecasts would be better. But I suspect that the chaos might actually be worse, as many people would be unable to connect and would be suffering from severe withdrawal symptoms.
The Anonymous Widower 
I remember that storm very well. Eldest daughter was still in reception class and youngest daughter was 4 months and formula milk was still a major part of her diet. The wind woke Neil and I in the early hours, and a constant clinky clatter noise which we thought was drinks can being blown around. The power went off, dont remember what time, and Neil sorted out a primus and candles, and went into work about sixish, he was a hospital engineer and was surprised no-one had phoned, as our phones were working. When we opened the front door we realised that the “drinks can” had been next door neighbours roof tiles! We hadnt lost any, but he had lost about 30% of his. YOungest daughter insisted school would be open, and wind had dropped by school time so I took her down to prove it was closed. I remember seeing a tree which had blown over, and stopping the car and showing it to eldest daughter and telling her unusual it was to see that etc etc. However when we then passed a whole lot of other trees blown down she was unconvinced of the rarity. We got elecricity later in the day, neighbour who cooked on gas let me sort out bottles for baby.
Comment by liz | April 29, 2011 |
I remember driving into Newmarket along the Cambridge Road and the number of trees blown over in that stretch at Egerton Stud…never seen anything like it. There was a race meeting on the Rowley Mile that week too.
Comment by YellowBlood | April 29, 2011 |
One day of racing was lost. I remember that on the Saturday a friend of mine won the Caesarewitch at 66-1 with Privat audition. we watched it on a portable television connected by a lead to C’s Mini outside.
Comment by AnonW | April 29, 2011 |
Six of the seven oaks at Sevenoaks were blown down, and most of the trees on the local recreation ground were down too.
Comment by liz | April 29, 2011 |
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