On the 35th anniversary of the Great Storm, we look back at its impact on Sussex, one of the worst-affected regions.
With winds of well over 100mph, the storm is said to have killed 18 people.
The greatest damage was in the South East as the storm rolled in from the English Channel.
Shoreham bore the brunt of the strongest winds, where gusts reached 115mph.
About 15 million trees were blown down including more than 20,000 at Wakehurst Place. It took five years to clear the damage there.
BBC weather presenter Michael Fish, who was born in Sussex, infamously said there was no hurricane on the way.
“Earlier on today, apparently a lady rang the BBC and said she heard that there was a hurricane on the way,” he said.
“Well, don't worry if you're watching, there isn't.”
The Met Office later launched an investigation into why they had failed to identify the storm.
Mr Fish said it was “unfair” to blame him as he relied on Met Office data, but he admitted that he “ended up sounding a bit stupid".
The storm caused an estimated £1 billion damage as trees were uprooted, windows smashed and roof tiles were blown away.
Peacehaven caravan park was obliterated by the storm.
Famous landmarks were not spared. Hove beach huts were destroyed and a minaret at the Royal Pavilion smashed through the ceiling.
Outside the Pavilion, large trees came crashing down, ripping up the pavements beneath them.
The impacts of the Great Storm of 1987 can still be seen across England’s woodlands today, as many trees that were lost were hundreds of years old, meaning it will take generations to fully recover.
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