FARMERS at Harty suffered terrible losses. They awoke to the sight of bloated dead cattle caught up on fences. At Capel Hill, the warnings had come quickly enough for Marian Studd, who still farms there today, to move stock to higher ground.

"The others were not so lucky" she said. "The sea defences were breached at Warden and the marshes from Capel Fleet were soon under water.

"The word went out and farmers and workers from Great and Little Bells, New and Old Rides, New House, Mocketts, Sayers and Brewers all pitched in to help each other.

"It was a terrible time. We could do nothing with the dead cattle until the water went down.''

Among the memories are one of sheep stood huddled at one end of a tiny island on marshland near Kingsferry. All round them were muddy gale-whipped waters and as the flood rose the island became smaller and smaller.

After feeding them, farmers prayed the worst was over and that they would not have to take the frightened, struggling creatures to dry land by boat.