It was a seemingly regular Thursday like any other on October 25^th, 1979 – sunny and warm. But a freak afternoon storm suddenly swept over the island, and unleashed an unprecedented level of chaos which resulted in over 100mm of rainfall and the loss of four human lives and around a 1,000 farm animals.

The turn in weather happened around noon, with the sky clouding over and the temperature dropping. At around 3.45pm, a time where most would be returning home from school or work, heavy rain started battering the island with such intensity that public transport stopped operating and telephone and electricity lines went dead. A darkness fell soon after, and the rain continued falling, leaving the island in a state of paralysis.

Vivienne Huntingford, 55, Anthony Galea, 64, and British tourists John Herbert Moore, 51, and Lorraine Wales, 39, all lost their lives as a direct consequence of the chaos that ensued. Vivienne had gone down to the basement to pick up some items to find that it had flooded. The current proved so strong that she was dragged away and her husband’s efforts to save her rendered futile. Anthony had been driving through Qormi with his wife and niece when their car started taking in water. They decided to abandon it, but while the women made it to safety, Anthony didn’t, and his body was found hours later in a field nearby.

John suffered a similarly horrendous fate. He got caught in the storm with his wife in the limits of Siggiewi, but while she managed to cling on to a tree, John was dragged away by the currents and his lifeless body was later found in Marsa. While not much is known about Lorraine’s final moments, one can only assume that the currents got the best of her. Her body was found two days after the storm in Salina.

These details persevere in the memories of those who experienced the intense flooding that fateful day. Some recall being carried back home on their parents’ shoulders while they waded through the floods, others remember getting stuck on car rooftops due to the intense flooding and being saved by a construction truck, the only vehicle that could withstand the currents. Many cars were also destroyed as a result of the floods, and heavy damage was reported to houses and shops.

RIP to all the victims of the storm.