200 years ago in November 1824, one of the worst storms on record to hit the south coast of England occurred, killing nearly 100 people and destroying villages and transport links. To commemorate those who lost their lives and to tell the story of what is known as “the Great Gale”, I have been working with colleagues at the Dorset Coast Forum and the Environment Agency to produce materials for a travelling exhibition.

I knew a little about it before but have learnt so much more, and thinking about “what if this were to happen now” is a sobering thought, as we have built thousands of homes in areas that flooded on that fateful night 200 years ago. Thankfully we now have processes and systems in place to forecast and plan for flooding events so we can alert and inform the public.

The Great Gale Exhibition toured five locations across the Dorset Coast in October and November 2024, and due to popular demand there are plans for the exhibition to tour again in 2025

Find out more about The Great Gale and exhibition at www.dorsetcoast.com/great-gale