Valentine's Day storm of February 2014 on Portland

The first week of the month huge waves battered the coast of Weymouth and Portland.

Sirens sounded at Chiswell as relentless waves washed over the top of Chesil Beach, leaving tons of pebbles and debris littering many of the streets.

Ferocious waves in the storm

Residents in Weymouth and Portland said it was the worst they had seen it in 30 years.

Then later in the month on Valentine’s Day residents battened down the hatches again in the face of yet another storm onslaught.

Portland Beach Road was closed and a one way traffic flow was put in place until the water level was safe

Dorset residents were urged to keep safe and away from the tide line as wave watchers tried to get a close view.

Portland bore the brunt of much of the storms’ wrath and authorities brought in heavy machinery and the Army to try and rebuild Chesil Beach, which had been gouged away by the waves.

A bench was uprooted at Chesil Cove

Milborne St Andrew and West Bay were also hit by the relentless weather.

The Echo and Rotary International teamed up to launch a Storm Aid fund to help flood victims.

Pebbles from Chesil Beach were scatted across the footpath at Chesil Cove

The destructive Valentine’s Day storm which continued the next day caused chaos whipping roofs from homes, triggered landslides, plunged thousands of homes into darkness, toppled over lorries and uprooted scores of trees as well as tearing down power cables.

The storms attracted national media attention

Winds of up to 80mph and waves more than 30ft high pounded coastal areas, putting lives in danger.

Emergency services, council staff and military personnel alerted residents whose properties were under threat, as well as providing transport and medical help.

Residents evacuated from West Bay came back to find tidal flooding and violent winds had damaged properties.

A set of stairs at Chiswell, Portland, leading to the beach was battered ‘like a sledgehammer,’ said one onlooker.

Seagulls dodge the waves at Chesil Cove

The Cove House Inn had to be evacuated and police blocked anyone from going on to the seafront.

Cindy-Lee Noble who was evacuated from her house in Chiswell

Portland Beach Road was under four feet of water from flooding at Hamm Beach. The road’s closure overnight trapped people either side of the causeway for several hours.

Onlookers at Chesil Beach

The clear-up operation begins in Chiswell

Refuge centres were set up, including impromptu shelters in Weymouth. The beach road opened for a couple of hours early on Saturday but closed again as waves rose at high tide.

A Wessex 4X4 vehicle was used to transport people when the causeway was closed.

The A35 between Dorchester and Bridport was also closed due to fallen trees.

Parts of Weymouth harbourside around the Town Bridge and Commercial Road were under water.

Preston Beach took a pounding but despite some spray overtopping, flood defences held firm and rock armour helped reduce risk of flooding, said the Environment Agency.

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