Storm Ciarán: Sussex recovers from day of disruption

Storm Ciarán left a trail of disruption and destruction after gusts of up to 62mph battered parts of the county yesterday.

Roads were left impassable by fallen trees, flooding and fallen power cables, with around 2,000 homes across the county left without electricity.

Outages were reported in Whitehawk, Eastbourne, Arundel, Crawley, Horsham, Haywards Heath and many other communities across the county as the storm damaged power lines.

Schools across the county also closed over safety fears.

Residents in Sompting had tiles ripped from roofs and fences destroyed as a “tornado” tore through the town.

CCTV footage caught the moment that wind rushed through a car park, throwing debris in all directions, including the roof from a building.

One resident, Keith Penfold, told The Argus he was woken up by the “tornado” and described the intense amount of rain hitting his window as like being in a “car wash”.

“My neighbour was in tears saying 'half of my roof has come off and the rain is coming in',” he said.

A tornado alert had been in place overnight for southern England by the Tornado and Storm Research Association (Torro), with the organisation confirming it had received a report of a possible tornado in the area.

The strong winds not only caused damage to homes but also to local businesses, with the shop front of a hairdressers in Shoreham stripped away by the intensity of the winds.

Pebbles were flung onto Hove seafront and bins toppled over by the strong winds and waves (Image: The Argus)

Brighton and Hove saw large waves strike the coast, throwing pebbles and sea foam on to the esplanade. The storm’s ferocity also toppled over benches, bins and warning signs dotted along the city’s shore.

Parts of Brighton seafront were closed off to the public, but it did not stop some from heading to the coast, despite warnings from authorities to avoid areas close to the sea.

A beach hut in Hove was also reportedly damaged by the storm.

North Street in Brighton city centre was cordoned off by police after debris from the roof of a branch of Boots fell into the street.

Traffic and bus routes were diverted while the area was made safe.

Meanwhile, in Worthing, shopkeepers took it upon themselves to unblock drains to clear floodwater from streets.

The town’s ice rink marquee was pulled apart by strong winds, with parts of the gazebo caved in and blowing in the breeze after collapsing to the strength of the storm.

Worthing Pier, which was closed yesterday due to Storm Ciarán, is expected to reopen this morning following a safety inspection by the council’s coastal office team.

Roads across the county were left impassable as trees collapsed, causing damage to parked cars. One unlucky homeowner in Bognor had a tree crash onto their house.

A tree toppled onto a house in Bognor in the strong winds (Image: Sussex News and Pictures)

Floodwater submerged parts of the A27 in Worthing, as well as roads in Alfriston, Horsham and Worthing.

However, the flooding did not stop some motorists from entering the water and getting stuck, despite fire crews having reminded drivers to not take the risk.

Trains were disrupted by flooding and power outages, with a trampoline blocking a rail line in Hastings after it was blown on to the tracks by the storm.

Rail operators urged commuters to avoid unnecessary travel as the strong winds and heavy rain caused disruption across the county.

Ferry services from Newhaven were suspended due to “violent storm” conditions at sea, while a number of flights from Gatwick were cancelled, including to Guernsey - which recorded gusts of 100mph.

Bus services were suspended for a time in Eastbourne and diverted in Brighton due to fallen trees.

Southern Water confirmed that 16 bathing sites across the county were affected by sewage discharges following the heavy rain 

As of 3pm yesterday there were 16 releases at bathing sites in the last 24 hours.

More releases from outfalls and at other bathing sites had also taken place within the last three days.

Southern Water said that overflows were “to protect homes, schools and businesses from flooding” and were “heavily diluted”.

In Hove, a "giant" rodent, thought to be a copyu was found washed up yesterday afternoon.

It is an invasive species that was eradicated from the UK in the 1980s due to the damage the species caused to land and crops.

The species is from Jersey where Storm Ciarán also hit, with gusts of over 100mph and a tornado striking the island.

More wet and windy weather is expected later in the week, with a yellow weather warning issued for much of Sussex for Saturday - coinciding with festivities at Lewes Bonfire.