MY MEMORY: The Great Storm of 1987 Struck 25 Years Ago Today!

Written by on October 15, 2012 in United Kingdom & Ireland with 1 Comment

Courtesy of Telegraph

THIS INCREDIBLE STORM WAS A TRUE ONCE IN A LIFETIME AND LIFECHANGING EVENT IN MY LIFE, THE VERY EVENT WHICH SEEDED MY INTEREST AND LIFELONG PASSION IN WEATHER. IT’S A STORM WHICH WILL LIVE WITH MY FOREVER…

  • Winds in Norfolk gusted to 122 mph
  • In London 94 mph
  • Central pressure dropped to 953 mb off SW England
  • 18 people died
  • 15 million trees were destroyed
  • Worst storm to strike Southern Britain in nearly 300 years

MY EXPERIENCE

At the age 4, I, along with my parents and brother Colin lived in the Salvation Army Training College in the Camberwell area of London between 1986-87 and lived through one of Britain’s most notorious storm’s. A storm which killed 18 people, downed 15 MILLION trees, ripped roofs off homes, cut power to millions and costs millions. It was a storm which entered the history books. A storm in which anyone who lived through it, will never forget.

It was on this day, 25 years ago in which a storm dubbed ‘The Great Storm of 87’ struck. A storm which was downplayed and not seen as a prtoblimatic event for Southern England. After it buzzsawed across southern Britain on the night of October 15, it would change not only the lives on millions but the landscape.

Huddled in one bed in a flat, myself and my family listened as the most deafening sound I’ve ever heard from a wind tore through London that faitful night. Since then I have experienced many a gale, even stronger winds but the sound will never be rivalled. Camberwell train station which was directly on the other side of the road from where we lived was receiving renovations and there was a lot of temporary sheeting. I remember, all this sheeting as well as roof tiles, pieces of trees and other objects flying through the air as winds clocked 115 mph along the South Coast and 90 mph across Greater London.

This storm I strongly believe was the seedling to my passion in weather today. Even at the age of 4, I remember this storm like it was yesterday. I remember walking around the next day to not only a ghost town but also what seemed like a very different surroundings. There was debris and damage everywhere. This no no ordinary storm and ever since, some 25 years later, there was been no storm which has came close to that of the Great Storm of 87.

The central pressure just off the Southwest coast of England dropped to an incredible 953 mb.

Courtesy of Met Office

Related Links

The Great Storm of 1987: infographic

Here are a few youtube videos worth watching.

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  1. Aubrey says:

    The awsome power of nature!

    Great article, I was about 14 at the time and remember the news coverage but as I live in Dublin I don’t remember too much bad weather there. We did have our own Hurricane earlier that year if im correct around August, it was called Hurricane Charlie and was a major weather event along the east coast and I remember the widespread damage and flooding well.

    Regards,

    Aubrey Smyth.

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