<P> The storm caused substantial damage over much of England, felling an estimated 15 million trees (including six of the seven eponymous oaks in Sevenoaks, historic specimens in Kew Gardens, Wakehurst Place, Nymans Garden, Hyde Park, London and Scotney Castle and most of the trees making up Chanctonbury Ring). At Bedgebury National Pinetum, Kent almost a quarter of the trees were brought down . There have been many claims that the damage to forestry was made worse by broadleaf trees still being in leaf at the time of the storm, though this was not borne out by an analysis by the Forestry Commission . </P> <P> Fallen trees blocked roads and railways and left widespread structural damage primarily to windows and roofs . Several hundred thousand people were left without power, not fully restored until more than two weeks later . Local electric utility officials later said they lost more wires in the storm than in the preceding decade . At sea, as well as many small boats being wrecked, a Sealink cross-channel ferry, the MV Hengist, was driven ashore at Folkestone and the bulk carrier MV Sumnea capsized at Dover, Kent . </P> <P> The National Grid sustained heavy damage during the event, as crashing cables short - circuited, which in some cases overheated the main system . Its headquarters faced the choice of keeping the Grid online to help London as the storm approached but risk an incremental system breakdown, failure and burnout, or to shut down most of South East England including London and avert that risk . The headquarters made the decision, the first one like it since before World War II: to shut down the South East power systems to maintain the network as soon as signs of overheating began . </P> <P> In London, many of the trees lining streets, particularly plane trees, were blown down overnight, blocking roads and crushing parked cars . Building construction scaffolding and billboards collapsed in many places, and many buildings were damaged . The following morning, the BBC's largest broadcasting site, Lime Grove Studios in White City, was unable to function due to a power failure--ITV's TV - am and BBC1's Breakfast Time programmes were broadcast from different emergency facilities in emergency formats . TV - am broadcast from Thames Television's Euston Road studios, while BBC newsreader Nicholas Witchell had to broadcast from the BBC1 continuity studio at BBC Television Centre, with the wall decorations used for Children's BBC hastily taken down . Much of the public transport in the capital was not functioning, and people were advised against trying to go to work . TV - am host Anne Diamond did go back to the regular TV - am studio with reporter Kay Burley, whilst Richard Keys remained in the Thames Television studio in case the power supply situation became even worse, and indeed, power did go back down at around 8: 15am . </P>

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