THREE people died and tens of thousands of people had their day thrown into chaos as hurricane-strength winds battered the region yesterday.
Buildings collapsed, cars and lorries overturned, and schools were forced to close as the area shared the fate of much of the country.
Councils are preparing to deploy staff to mount huge clear-up operations today, with some schools not reopening until next week.
Merseyside and Cheshire's transport network was badly hit with rail, road, air and ferry services all badly affected by 75mph winds, which reached gusts of 84mph on Crosby beach.
Emergency services dealt with an estimated 500% increase in 999 calls and hospital A&E depart-ments were inundated with walking wounded.
A Wirral pensioner in his eighties died at 3pm when he suffered a heart attack as he battled to repair a garden fence in Prenton that had blown down.
A German driver in Chester was killed when his HGV blew over as he was travelling on the A55 near the Post House Roundabout.
In Garston, a middle-aged driver died when his car was in collision with a Mersey Fire Service vehicle responding to an emergency alert at John Lennon Airport.
A Delta taxi driver and two passengers escaped injury by inches, after a chimney collapsed on to their vehicle outside Stamps wine bar, in Crosby.
Two boys in St Helens were taken to hospital with rib and back injuries after being hit by falling branches as they left St Augustine's RC High School.
The boys, thought to be aged 12, were taken to the casualty unit at Whiston Hospital.
Six people were trapped and five people were seriously injured when a building collapsed in Risley, Warrington, at 1.25pm. Workers nearby were evacuated.
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