NOSTALGIA: Final look at 1987 storm damage in Eastbourne

We take our final look this week at the damage caused by the Great Storm of 1987 and how caravan sites along the coast suffered.
Great Storm, Eastbourne MAYOAK0003548865Great Storm, Eastbourne MAYOAK0003548865
Great Storm, Eastbourne MAYOAK0003548865

The Hurricane proved to be a living nightmare for people staying in caravan parks.

Many of the 175 retirement homes in Norman’s Bay Caravan Park were wrecked.

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They were tossed around like pieces of paper before being thrown down smashed out of all recognition.

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Great Storm, Eastbourne MAYOAK0003548988

Only four of the homes were occupied at the time of the storm but no one was injured.

The chief problem facing the then site manager Pat Wells was one of looting.

Further along the road at the Norman’s Bay Caravan Club, 10 holidaymakers took refuge in the site’s toilets to escape injury from the debris blowing around the grounds.

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Four elderly couples and two young women were staying on the site at the time and they watched in horror as winds wreaked havoc on 30 out of the 40 caravans in the park.

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No Caption ABCDE MAYOAK0003553521

Eight were hurled 40 ft into a ditch and 12 have been written off.

Similar scenes of chaos were found at Grey Towers and Castle View sites in Pevensey Bay where caravans ended up piled on top of one another, battered beyond recognition.

Caravans were also damaged beyond repairs at the Martello Beach site and at Newhaven where police said the town’s caravans parks were the worst hit places.

At the Sunnyside Caravan Park in Seaford, 13 caravans were written off after they were damaged in the storm but again no-one received any injuries.

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