STORM – Terrific Storm on North East Coast

Accreditation The Redcar and Saltburn-by-the-Sea Gazette. 31/10/1878

TERRIFFIC STORM ON THE NORTH-EAST COAST

      On of the stormiest and roughest days that has been experienced on the north-east coast for some time. The afternoon there were no indications of a coming storm, and as night closed in about a score of large vessels were observed passing Redcar in a northerly direction. During the night a look-out was kept, as it was thought extremely probable that the services of one or other of the lifeboats might be required. Such, however, was happily not the case, and at daybreak there were only one or two vessels in sight, the others having succeeded in gaining the shelter of one of the neighbouring ports or in reaching the open sea. In the meantime the storm had burst with great violence, and for several hours raged with terrific fury, huge breakers rolling in one after another in rapid succession, and sweeping up the sea wall at high water. Rain also fell in torrents for about two hours, and many of the streets in Redcar became flooded, and were for some time rendered totally impassable. A considerable area of the low-lying land in the neighbourhood was also under water. During the afternoon the wind veered round from the north-east to due north. There were several heavy showers at intervals through the day. There followed slight improvement in the weather, though it was still very dull and threatening, and there was a heavy sea running.