In pictures: Three days of devastation in the Chichester district 17 years ago

Sussex shores took a severe battering on Monday, March 10, 2008, when the worst storm since 1987 struck, bringing a potent cocktail of strong winds, waves and high tides.

Gale-force winds of up to 80mph swept along the coast, flooding parts of Bosham and Emsworth and resulting in the evacuation of 40 people from West Sands caravan park in Selsey after the sea defences were breached.

On the Tuesday evening, six fire crews rushed to Chichester City United Football Club’s clubhouse to fight a serious blaze, which quickly destroyed two wooden buildings and changing rooms.

The club was just about to move to Oaklands Park and the buildings were not in use. Commuters were among the first to see the smoke and call 999.

The fire was the culmination of a busy week for the emergency services, which had been kept busy dealing with numerous weather-related incidents.

The morning of Wednesday, March 12, 2008, saw staff from Bunn Leisure, which owned West Sands at the time, busy assessing the damage and beginning to start the clear-up following the tidal fury which had struck two days previously.

The ferocious winds and high spring tides caused havoc on Medmerry Beach, demolishing the shingle bank and flooding Broad Rife, sending huge waves crashing down on to the site.

A rescue mission was launched at 1.45pm from Medmerry Windmill and a five-man crew from Selsey Lifeboat used an inflatable lifeboat to take five women, three men and two children to safety. They were taken to safety in an inflatable lifeboat, while emergency services shut off all roads leading to the beach and to the site.

Around 150 caravans were damaged. They were bobbing up and down like boats, according to an eyewitness.

Residents in seafront properties could only listen in horror as the waves smashed into their homes. Two properties were declared unsafe after they were repeatedly pummelled by the waves.

Environment Agency workers were on site on the Monday evening to try to push up a 750-metre section of the shingle bank which was washed away in the storm.

The agency said once the weather had settled and water levels had receded, shingle would be imported to rebuild the bank.

Due to the height of the tides and the intensity of the , some localised flooding had been expected and people were urged to stay away from exposed coastal areas.

Selsey was one of the worst-hit areas, with the caravans submerged in up to 4ft of water - and for some it meant losing everything they owned.

It was the first time Broad Rife had flooded in 48 years. It overflowed the bank all the way to Earnley. There was foam everywhere, coming off the sea and being blown inland. Houses backing on to the beach were completely obscured by massive waves crashing over them.

Chichester Harbour came through the storm without incident, bar a slight bit of damage to the pontoon in Emsworth.

However, the stormy weather flooded homes and businesses, and made the earth rumble, in Bosham with nearly a disastrous consequence.

The high tide around 1pm on Monday, March 10, 2008, flooded Bosham Lane from the shore up to the Bosham Walk Arts and Crafts Centre, and High Street was also flooded from the Bosham Lane end to past the Anchor Bleu pub.

The high tide crept up to Bosham Walk, causing all its lights to flicker, and the earth to make some disturbing noises.

People in the craft centre heard a massive bang and a crash, as the pressure of the water caused the manhole covers to explode. Everything that was on was flashing and everyone was worried the electrics were going to blow, so Bosham Walk had to be evacuated.

Annie Wilderspin, the owner of Bosham Gift Shop, was standing just metres away from the manhole cover when it blew off.

She said: “The lights were going on and off and making a fizzing noise and the ground was making this awful noise. I turned my lights off and I went out of the door to have a look.

“Then there was a massive bang. I thought the freezer was coming out of the fudge shop. The manhole cover must have shot up and down really quickly.”

Jayne Checkley, the owner of Mariners Coffee Shop, in High Street, battled against the rising waters at high tide on the Monday. She had to use her storm board and said it was about as bad as the floods in 1987.

“I have never seen so much water in the harbour and it was rushing in at such a rate we could hardly keep up with it,” she added.

The Anchor Bleu pub, in High Street, had understandably experienced some flooding over the years, being close to the water’s edge, but this was worse than anything the landlords had dealt with before.

A carpet less than a year old was ruined and some of the drinks pumps at the bar were faulty but it was still business as usual for a while.

Landlady Kate Walford said: “We had a few customers in here but we had to tell everybody to get out and in the end I called the fire brigade, who pumped us out.

“It happened very quickly. It was all exciting stuff, but we have not had it on this scale – it was exceptional. There is a lot of camaraderie in the High Street in Bosham, everybody helps each other. It is the most amazing thing.”