PEOPLE living in East Sussex were today picking up the pieces of their

shattered homes after violent storms lashed the county.

Homes on the coast road in Pevensey Bay and Normans Bay were among the worst affected as high winds and driving rain battered beachfronts yesterday.

Around 50 homes which back on to the beach suffered severe damage as shingle and waves smashed through garden walls and patio doors during the 10am high tide.

Dozens of other homes in the area suffered flooding as water

levels rose.

An emergency services operation control room was set up at Pevensey Bay and 11 fire crews spent most of the day helping to make buildings safe and pump out homes. A police road block was also in place.

Six homes were evacuated and 23 were described by police at the scene as "a danger" after water undermined the foundations.

Coast Road residents Bob and Myra Irving were left shocked after massive waves began to pound their garden, ripping up concrete and lifting their boat, which had been beached outside their home, into their garden.

Myra said: "I was looking out my window at the storm then suddenly the boat started coming towards me. There was just this big crash. Now the garden is ruined and we are up to our knees in water."

Gina Bowman, 61, has lived in the road for 30 years. Her garden and home escaped damage only because she had put tonnes of foundation under her wall and home.

She said: "In all my time living here I have never known it to be so bad. I'm one of the lucky ones. Some of the others have really been hit hard.

"Everyone has really come together here as a community. It's very much like during the war with neighbours helping neighbours. You have to in times like these."

An emergency refuge centre was set up at the nearby Sovereign Centre, Eastbourne, by Wealden District and Eastbourne Borough councils.

Three people were taken to Eastbourne District General Hospital during the storms, suffering from minor injuries. All were later released.

One of the injured was a firefighter who was hit by a wave on the beach at Normans Bay. He was treated for minor cuts and bruises and the effects of inhaling water.

Emergency services described the situation yesterday as "frantic" as they battled against flooding, falling trees and scaffolding across the county.

The Environment Agency also issued flood warnings on the rivers Cuckmere and Ouse.

Two families in Avondale Road, Eastbourne, were lucky to escape injury after a tree crashed into their homes at 8.30am yesterday.

The tree from open land opposite snapped at the base due to high winds, smashing John and Iris Woodward's Renault Clio before landing on their house and the home of next-door neighbour Lorna Beeson, 31.

Lorna's two sons Cameron, seven, and Drew, four months were playing in the front room downstairs at the time. The tree missed the window by inches after the car broke the fall.

Miss Beeson said: "There was a loud bang. I'm just so glad the boys are alright. If it wasn't for the car then Cameron and Drew could have been badly hurt.

Mr Woodward said: "I was sitting reading when I saw this big black thing coming at us. Last night I had a Renault Clio and this morning I'm left with a Renault Tree-o. This is just unbelievable"

Eastbourne fire brigade sub-officer Kevin Sharpe said: "It was frantic. We were mainly dealing with loose scaffolding and minor flooding but there was just so much of it."

Hastings also suffered from flooding and falling scaffolding with crews attending incidents back to back.

Despite more bad weather last night in Pevensey, homes escaped further destruction.

A police spokesman said sea defences were not breached any further and there were no other evacuations or injuries.

He said: "At the critical time of high tide, at about midnight, weather conditions eased and the wind dropped slightly."

Supt Simon Parr of

Sussex Police, praised

the joint operation

between emergency services, the Environment Agency and local authorities.

He said: "This was an excellent example of a multi-agency approach."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.