The Great Storm of 1987

​A documentary image set recording the aftermath of the Great Storm of October 1987, showing widespread storm damage across rural Essex, including collapsed commercial greenhouses, uprooted trees and blocked roads following hurricane-force winds.

Location
Great Canfield, Royston, Hatfield Broad Oak, Essex, England, United Kingdom
Date
16 October 1987
Subject
Storm damage to rural infrastructure and horticultural businesses following the Great Storm of 1987.
Licence
Editorial use only (Rights Managed)
Image Type
Archival
People
No people visible
Property
Private and commercial property visible; no property release
Content Overview
The images document severe wind damage in the Essex countryside after the Great Storm of 1987, focusing on the destruction of glasshouse structures at a plant nursery, fallen trees obstructing narrow country roads, and debris scattered across farmland. The set reflects the scale of infrastructure loss and disruption caused by one of the most damaging extratropical cyclones to hit southern England in the 20th century.
Scenes Include

• Collapsed greenhouse frames and shattered glass at a commercial nursery
• Extensive structural damage to horticultural buildings
• Fallen trees blocking rural roads
• Wind-flattened vegetation and hedgerows
• Storm debris spread across agricultural land
• Isolated countryside affected by extreme weather conditions

Editorial Value
Suitable for retrospective news features, weather and climate reporting, UK storm history, rural economy impact stories, insurance and infrastructure loss coverage, and educational use on extreme weather events.
Photographer / Credit
Knelstrom Ltd
Keywords
Great Storm 1987, Essex storm damage, UK extreme weather, greenhouse destruction, fallen trees, rural infrastructure damage, extratropical cyclone, October 1987, British weather history

ALAMY