Islanders 'devastated' by damage caused by tornado

Terry De Ste Croix's home in Fliquet, St Martin, was in the path of the tornado

An islander says she thought she was "going to have a heart attack" after seeing the "devastation" caused to her property in Jersey.

A "significant tornado" hit eastern parts of the island on Thursday during Storm Ciarán, impacting St Clement, St Martin and Fliquet.

Around 80 homes still remain without power, and some islanders are unable to return home due to storm damage.

Angela Mitchell owns a farm in Grouville, which she said was previously damaged by the Great Storm of 1987.

Angela Mitchell does not know how her farm will be rebuilt after the damage

She said Storm Ciarán had torn down trees planted decades ago.

"This has just ripped everything to bits like matchsticks, this is worse.

"We lost some big trees but we could cope with it, but this, I don't know how we will cope with it," she said.

Terry De Ste Croix had lived in his house in Fliquet for more than 50 years.

Terry De Ste Croix said he did not know when, or if, he would be able to return to his home

Following the storm, he said he did not know if he would ever be able to move back in.

He said: "Everybody's been helping each other out, and I hope they don't have to knock the house down as I want to come back.

"It's a nice area, but as you can see, it's probably quite some time before we get back here."

The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation has classed the intensity of the tornado, based on the Beaufort wind scale, at T6.

Its website said this classed it as a "moderately-devastating tornado", capable of reaching speeds of up to 161-186mph, or 73-83m per second.