Trees topple and power lines fall in high winds as Storm Eunice hits
Roads were closed and homes were left without power after the Met Office issued a danger of death warning
Storm Eunice shook Mid Sussex after the Met Office upgraded its ‘danger of death’ warning to the highest level on Friday.
The strong winds caused trees and power lines to fall, trains and flights were cancelled and drivers were advised to stay off the roads.
Further strong winds over the weekend caused further damage to already weakened branches and fences, and many homes lost power.
The Met Office had said the storm would cause ‘significant disruption and dangerous conditions due to extremely strong winds’.
People were been told to expect flying debris ‘resulting in a danger to life, and to expect damage to buildings and homes, ‘with roofs blown off and power lines brought down’.
Ahead of the storm hitting, a Met Office spokesperson said: “There is a good chance that power cuts, possibly prolonged, could occur and possibly affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage.
“Large waves are likely and beach material is likely to be thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties.
“It is likely there will be falling branches and some uprooted trees.”
There were inland wind gusts of 70-80mph, with coastal areas seeing speeds of up to 100mph.
In Crawley Down an ambulance crew had a lucky escape after a tree fell onto their vehicle on Saturday morning.
PC Glen McArthur from Roads Policing Sussex said the incident happened near Crawley Down and shared photos of the scene through his Twitter profile.
“Watch out, there are still fallen trees on the roads of the county,” he said, adding that ‘even the professionals get caught out’.
“Minor injuries to the crew, luckily,” he said.
A South East Coast Ambulance Service spokesperson said the incident happened at about 8.20am.
“The ambulance was en route to an emergency at the time,” they said.
“The crew suffered minor injuries and were taken to East Surrey Hospital,” the spokesperson added.
The fire service was called to a block of flats in Burgess Hill on Friday after receiving reports of a damaged balcony during the storm.
A spokesperson for West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service said the damage was caused to a property in Silverdale Road.
“Joint Fire Control mobilised the service’s Technical Rescue Unit along with the crew from Burgess Hill Fire Station to the scene to inspect the damage and make the scene safe,” they said.
It wasn’t until the police arrived that I realised the true extent of the damage
ROGER SMITH Burgess Hill resident
“Upon arrival they were able to remove the balcony from inside the building to prevent it causing any further damage,” they added.
An occupant of one of the flats directly below, Roger Smith, 64, said: “I was in my kitchen making a cup of tea when all of a sudden there was a commotion and sections of downpipe and cladding from the inside of the damaged balcony hurtled past my window.
“It wasn’t until the police arrived that I realised the true extent of the damage Eunice was causing,” he said.
“The fire service have since removed the sides and face of the balcony, which will obviously need extensive repairs.”
The Aldi superstore in East Grinstead was temporarily closed after the shop’s roof was blown off.
Aldi confirmed on Friday afternoon the damage to the store on London Road was caused by the storm.
Gatwick Airport said the disruption had not been too bad, with 28 cancellations on Friday.
In Haywards Heath an 80foot tree had to be felled on Saturday (February 19) when it was seen swaying dangerously over Grove Garden, as well as a public footpath and flats.
Grove Garden chair and trustee Nigel Ryan said the ‘tough decision’ was taken by Mid Sussex MP Mims Davies and MSDC leader Jonathan Ash-Edwards, who arrived at the scene with councillor Rod Clarke and councillor Sujan Wickremaratchi.
Nigel said the tree was felled with support from tree surgeons and the emergency services. No one was injured, he said, but the garden was damaged and lost its wall.
West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service responded to more than 500 999 calls during Storm Eunice.
The fire service also confirmed that it had dealt with many more emergency incidents across West Sussex.
A spokesperson for West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (WSFRS) said: “Between 8am and 5.30pm on Friday, February 18, Joint Fire Control handled more than 500 999 calls across West Sussex, East Sussex and Surrey in the wake of Storm Eunice.
“WSFRS attended around 70 emergency incidents across West Sussex, with our officers, fire engines and Technical Rescue Unit mobilised to respond to a variety of incidents including dangerous structures, where roof tiles and cladding had been blown loose, as well as trees that had come down in the high winds.
“JFC received a significant volume of calls from both the Chichester and Worthing areas in particular, although disruption was widespread across the county.
“This continued into the weekend and beginning of this week as bad weather continued to unfold with the arrival of Storm Franklin, with further disruption.
“Although much of the bad weather has now passed, and the weather warnings have expired, we would encourage residents to continue to take care when out and about, especially around buildings and trees that may have been damaged in the storms.
“If you encounter a tree that has come down and is blocking the road, please call West Sussex Highways on 01243 642105. For concerns involving electricity or pylons, dial 105.”
To see more pictures from Mid Sussex and beyond visit sussexworld.co.uk
On FridayJoint Fire Control handled more than 500 999 calls across West Sussex, East Sussex and Surrey in the wake of Storm Eunice
WEST SUSSEX FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE