The situation became really severe in Penzance, and in fact much of S
Cornwall this evening. It is now generally excepted that the sea was larger,
and the flooding worse, than in the 1962 Good Friday storm, the last time SE
facing parts of Cornwall saw considerable damage. (The 1987 storm which was
so severe at Porthleven was SW). The sea seems to have reached levels never
seen before. Certainly, it was up to a normal high tide level 3 hours before
high tide. The very low pressure and associated gale obviously created a
huge surge. I have never seen seas remotely like it in Mounts Bay. The
Penzance harbour car park, together with all the cars, was under water
hour before high tide.

Just to summarise:-

Part of Penzance sea wall has been washed away, causing extensive flooding
of properties behind.
All roads into Penzance have been closed to all but emergency vehicles
The main railway line is way under the sea.

People in Newlyn have been evacuated, and are spending the night housed by
Penwith Council
There are reports that Lamorna sea wall has been washed away (it's hundreds
of years old).
There is flooding in Mousehole, where the winter baulks are not yet in
place.

The list goes on & on.

3 Photos, taken this afternoon, are at
www.easterling.freeserve.co.uk/storm.html.html. The situation got a lot
worse an hour later.
To give an idea of scale, the top of the church tower is 200 feet above sea
level, and waves hitting the prom were going over the top.

The damage bill is going to be massive. At least we'll get a new sea wall.
This one was largely rebuilt after the 1962 storm.

Graham
Penzance

Holiday Cottage www.easterling.freeserve.co.uk
Penzance Weather www.easterling.freeserve.co.uk/weather.html