Storm-hit Jersey residents say Ciaran worse than Great Storm of 1987

Nov 02, 2023

It’s been an extraordinary day, for islanders and visitors alike.

Isolated and exposed, Jersey is used to unexpected weather events and stormy seas.

But even with the amount of forewarning residents were given, the impact of Storm Ciaran came as a shock.

Hardly anyone we’ve met has had any sleep, windows were rattling across the island from 3am.

For some, that gave way to far worse – roofs have been shredded and windows of cars and houses punctured by shards of flying slate from nearby roofs.

One side street – some 100 metres from the seawall – is covered in thick sand hurled over by the wind.

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‘Worse than 1987’

Ivor is clearing his road of trees that’ve cut off roads that snake across the island.

“This is worse than 1987,” he tells us. Mangled trees have made many roads unpassable.

He’s not the only one who has never witnessed a weather event like this.

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Terry’s cottage has been standing strong since 1843, he proudly tells us, but Storm Ciaran was its downfall.

The gale force winds brought his chimney crashing down in the middle of the night, scaring his wife Angela.

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Both in their 80s, they were scrambled to safety by firefighters who evacuated them to a nearby hotel.

He, like some of the 40 displaced residents, fears they won’t be home in time for Christmas.

It’s the memories they’ve built in their cottage they’re desperate to hold onto. They fear returning to it as they know the sight of the wreckage will be too much to bear.

Parish halls have opened for respite and comfort.

But it’ll take much more than that to repair what this storm has taken.

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