Flooding causes wall damage. Pictures: Tony Punyer

Don't mess with Mother Nature!

These dramatic pictures show the aftermath of a heavy thunderstorm in Margate – which triggered a "mini tsunami" and washed away a 30-FOOT long wall.

Cars left in Park Lane were lucky to escape major damage when the wall came crashing down yesterday afternoon.

Tony Punyer, 42, who lives in nearby Dane Park Road, said: "We had five minutes of hailstones and really heavy rain and the drainage just couldn't cope.

"It's the first time anything like this has happened before. It happened so quickly – within half an hour of the rain starting, the wall was down.
"There's definitely an issue with drainage in the area."

A number of local businesses were hit by the downpour, including Crown Bingo in Marine Terrace.

Staff worked through the night after rainwater flooded in through the back door and spread across the hall.

Paul Thorn, deputy manager, said: "It was amazing. I've never seen anything like it. It was just pouring in, like a mini tsunami.

"We've all been working hard to put things right and clear up and would like to reassure our customers that we'll be open for business by this afternoon."

Sarah Vickery, owner of Shell Grotto in Margate, said: "It's been raining in there all night, the initial downpour was so great, it was pretty extraordinary.

It’s the most water I have ever seen in there but then it’s the most water I’ve ever seen in Margate.

"We’ve had a lawn roof put on the grotto, that’s been in place for the last couple of years, but it just couldnt cope.

"The rain went straight through the lawn, deluged the drains and came straight in. Its been percolating through the chalk all night.

"I think we’ll be open tomorrow, it is finally dry down there, but we need to work out an emergency roofing method with English Heritage for that sort of situation as it's bound to happen again.

"I always feel sick when I see rain - have done for ten years - but all I could do was pray. All you can do is hope there’s no lasting damage and hope to learn from the situation.

"I don’t know what the solution is, but I do know we need a solution."