GREAT GALE & FLOODS.

ABNORMALLY HIGH TIDES AT ST. ANNES.

EXTENSIVE DAMAGE ON THE FYLDE COAST.

The Fylde coast was swept by a devastating storm during Saturday night and Sunday morning last. The damage along the coast, between the Ribble and the Wyre, amounted to thousands of pounds. Heavy rain fell all day on Saturday, and a strong wind blew from the sea, but as night approached the wind increased in violence, bringing in the flood tide at a furious rate. At high tide the water reached a height that had hot been known for years, and it was a distressing scene that met the eyes of many people on Sunday morning.

The extraordinarily high tide flooded all the low-lying lands, and in addition, in many places the embankments had been broken by the fury of the waves. Acres of land were under water, and along the banks of the Ribble the farmers have suffered serious losses from the drowning of sheep and poultry. At Lytham the Ribble Laundry suffered severely. Boundary walls were thrown down by the onrush of the water, and the valuable plant was submerged. The damage here is estimated at about £600. At Lytham Destructor Works the fires were extinguished by water, and the stoker had a thrilling experience in making his escape. Houses in the neighbourhood of the Shipyard were flooded, and the furniture was floating about.

At Ansdell and Fairhaven the hulking was broken in two places, and the water, coming over the Marine Drive, washed portions of the sandshield away, along with several tons of the ballast on which the temporary line of railway is laid. One of our illustrations shows one of these fissures about ten feet deep and from thirty to forty feet long.

At St. Annes the damage was comparatively slight, owing to our first line of defence, the stanner of stones. A number of row-boats had been placed under the Pier entrance for safety, but these were washed out by the tide, and on Sunday morning they were found strewn along the shore, several of them being damaged. The “Wild Duck” fishing boat was driven ashore on the top of the stanner. The water came through the sandhills on North Drive and formed a lake, as shown in the accompanying photograph. At the main sewer outlet near the Ormerod Home, the sea washed the manhole bare, and a depth of three feet of brickwork were exposed to view.

Ashore the wind did considerable damage by blowing in windows and blowing the gable ends of houses down. The South Shore Fairground was damaged to the extent of several thousand pounds. The sea circus was the principal sufferer, Tons of sand and water were washed into it, and the engine room was severely damaged. The Water Chute and the other shows and stalls will cost a large sum before they are restored to their former condition.

At Blackpool, Chapel Street and Bonney Street were flooded to the depth of several feet. Pedestrians were blown down and some of the iron pillars supporting the railings on the Promenade were snapped off at the base. At Fleetwood, large tracts of land were under water, and the contractor at the sewage works, which are in process of construction, has suffered to the extent of £1,000 by the sweeping away of everything moveable. Across the Wyre large losses have been sustained by the flooding of lowland and drowning of cattle and sheep. It will take months to efface the effects of the storm.