THIS week 30 years ago Essex was about to be battered by a ferocious storm which would go down in history.
The Great Storm of 1987 wreaked havoc over the county, with boats, caravans and beach huts on the Tendring coast bearing the brunt of their 110mph force.
It was the worst to hit south east England for 300 years, leading to the deaths of 19 people and a litany of destruction.
Olivia Lewis, of Wellesley Road, Colchester, remembers a Chestnut tree crushed a number of cars.
“It was a truly terrifying night.
"Then we we got up and saw the devastation in the morning.”
* What memories do you have of the 1987 storms? contact us on 01206 508186.
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