ACROSS the water, Storm Goretti appeared to hit harder still, leaving widespread damage and disruption overnight.
The situation intensified shortly before midnight when emergency services began evacuating two blocks of flats in St Peter Port after a tree fell and caused structural damage.
Around 50 residents were relocated to two local hotels as a precaution. The States described the response as a “large operation” and warned that non-emergency phone lines could experience delays.
Among those impacted was 17-year-old carpentry apprentice, Zack, who missed his 07:30 maths exam as a result – and got a free cooked breakfast instead.
By 1.43am, the States of Guernsey said there was a “large amount of debris spread across the island”, with a number of roads completely blocked.
At least 64 fallen trees had been reported on public highways – a figure officials warned was likely to rise as daylight revealed the full extent of the damage.
By early morning, the situation had prompted a major decision not mirrored in Jersey. All schools in Guernsey and Alderney were closed on Friday, with the States citing safety concerns as many main routes remained impassable or strewn with debris.
News teams at JEP sister publication Bailiwick Express in Guernsey also heard from Islanders whose cars had been crushed by falling trees, while others reported windscreens smashed by bricks torn from buildings during the height of the storm.
The extreme conditions also drew online attention – and some criticism – after so-called “storm chasers” took to the roads during the worst of the weather.
One Guernsey-based live YouTube stream attracted around 60,000 viewers over nearly five hours, as its occupants drove around the island filming the chaos.
At one point, after stopping to move debris from a blocked road, one of the group was heard to remark: “We must be bloody mad.”
Live updates from the other Channel Islands can be found here.
