A combination of extremely high tides, severe gales and lashing rain left many parts of Cornwall nursing the effects of a most ferocious storm. It was a case of Mother Nature at her worst which lead to closed roads, delayed trains, fallen trees and sea walls knocked about. Click here
to see a gallery of photos as the storms hit Cornwall on 27.10.04 |
The far west of the county had the first taste of the powerful winds combining with spring tides after they had hit the Isles of Scilly on Wednesday. Click here
to see a short clip of the waves crashing over Penzance promenade, Cornwall on 27.10.04 |
Click here
to see a short clip of the waves crashing over the harbour wall in Porthleven, Cornwall on 27.10.04 |
In Penzance the combination of spring tides and gale force winds from the south east sent huge breakers crashing over the Promenade - many properties in the surrounding streets were flooded. There was also two feet of water on the tracks at Penzance station. Click here
to email in your experiences of the October floods and your photographs. |
The 70-mile-an-hour winds moved along the south coast from Penzance causing flooding at Flushing where forty houses were under water and at nearby Penryn. At Looe waves crashing on the front and the rapidly rising tide lead to road closures and people being evacuated from their homes into the church hall. The force of the water blew manhole covers into the road and sea front furniture was washed up Looe River. The floods caused many roads to be closed to traffic and brought southern parts of the county almost to a standstill. The majority of those roads remained closed overnight on Wednesday, as County Highways waited to see the effects of Thursday morning's high tide. Thursday 28th October Audio BBC Radio Cornwall's Matt Pengelly was in Penzance as the storm started on Wednesday
 Click here to listen to his report. The unquenchable Cornish spirit has been saving the day - like in Penzance where some 40 people were trapped in the Queens Hotel - with several feet of flood water behind and the raging sea in front.
Click here to listen Matt Pengelly's report.
Dozens of businesses and homeowners will have to start the big clean up after a storm which has been described by the Environment Agency as only happening once every twenty five years.
Click here for Michael Taylor's report from the east of the county. Thursday 28th October
Lunchtime Audio Click herefor a half hour programme with Laurence Reed and BBC Radio Cornwall reporters, eye witnesses, and agencies reacting to the October Storms.
To listen to any of the above audio you will need a version of Real Player:
BBC download guide
BFree Real Player |
Friday 29th October Audio The extraordinary strength of the October storms has highlighted growing fears about the long term threat to Cornwall's coastline at a time of climate change. The government is working on new plans for sea defences which may include so-called "managed retreat". Click hereforthis report from Chris Young |
Click here
to email in your experiences of the flash floods and photographs. |
Click here
to look back at the devastation in Boscastle in August 2004. |
| 
