In January 1968, exactly 50 years ago today, a hurricane hit Central Scotland. It was a storm of devastating magnitude destroying many buildings, killing 2 dozen people and injuring hundreds.
It was the storm that saved Glasgow. With SO much damage, huge proposals were orchestrated to afterwards get rid of Glasgow’s slums and it prompted the building of many flats and high rises. A documentary on BBC1, titled, “The Storm that Saved a City” explores the architectural changes.
Blantyre did not escape the storm. It caused a lot of damage as people recount below.
Featuring Blantyre Project Social Media with permission. Strictly not for use by others on or offline, our visitors said,
Sylvia Mclaughlin Sheena Mason think this is the storm you were singing hymns tae, telling me we were going to die! 
😉
😉
Sheena Mason Aye a think your right, oor chimney got blew doon that night, it was horrendous. Onward Christian Soldiers was one of them and, Abide With Me was another but, see I saved us that night with my hymns….
😂😂I admit I was a wee nasty to you that night but, I thought it was hysterical, I’m sorry I’ll never frighten you again. Pmsl. The bad bit wis definately in me. Pmsl.xx
😂😂I admit I was a wee nasty to you that night but, I thought it was hysterical, I’m sorry I’ll never frighten you again. Pmsl. The bad bit wis definately in me. Pmsl.xx
Bill Graham I remember this we sat at the up stairs window of Lintbutts on Main St and watched the bin lids flying past the window and the big billboard next to the house blew down.
Ann Hartman Our kitchen window in Belvoir place wad sucked out and wad lying on ground we were all terrified house would blow down I wad 13 and remember it well
Janet Cochrane The hayshed at Calderside was blown down and broke all the electricity cables
Andy Callaghan I was walking home to Blantyre from Bellshill just after midnight and at the top of the Boags Brae a really fierce gust blew me I over a fence into a field. It was a wild walk home I can tell you.
John Whitelaw Andy, which pub had you been in? 😉 
😁
😉 😁Andy Callaghan Stone cold sober John. Honest…and quite scared.
Blantyre Project Some terrifying moments! Sounds very scary. Anybody else remember this?
Moyra Lindsay We were just married and lived in the Dales on Main Street, I remember the billboard going down the street. Never slept , the noise was horrendous. We had a lot of stour down the chimney but no damage to house or shop at 379. Don flew to Dublin the next morning at nine. We were just remarking how we didn’t worry about much then!
Sylvia Mclaughlin We lived in Hillview Drive n our chimney got blown down
Maggie Anderson I remember it well….slates flying off the roof and we were sitting up in bed drinking tea and with each gust the building literally shook !!!
John Graham My eldest son was born that day. Edinburgh. Remember it well!!!!!!!!!
Dave Graham John Graham it’s like that film The Omen.
John Graham cheeky!!!
Maggie Anderson We lost a ton of slates from our roof and we were top flat….trying to get a slater to fix it was just a nightmare….we sold up not long after it was fixed !!
Jackie MacDonald Bedroom window got blown in that night.
Auchinraith primary lost roof off dining hall. Mega damage everywhere. Lots of chimneys lost too.
Jackie MacDonald Bedroom window got blown in that night.
Auchinraith primary lost roof off dining hall. Mega damage everywhere. Lots of chimneys lost too.
William Flanagan That whn all our family moved away to different parts of glasgow
Maisie Whittaker The chimney came through my mother and father in laws roof and just missed someone ,they had to move out there house for a few months until it was fixed
Moyra Lindsay Never knew that, Maisie.
Maisie Whittaker That was the house on auchinraith road they stayed with mina,s sister until it was fixed xx
William Flanagan Had a big cuz that died because of it 😂
😂
Christine Reid Yes we did only 5 years old beautiful little thing the chimney came down her sister was saved by the beam but had difficulty breathing as she swallowed the soot fire brigades rushed her to Yorkhill as no time to wait for an ambulance was soo sad remember the little primary ones making a line for the coffin to pass them into St Patrick’s
Christine Reid We had just moved from Anderson to the Barricks
Christine Reid We had just moved from Anderson to the Barricks
William Flanagan Christine Reid there s a tv program on tonite about that storm
William Flanagan Christine Reid think Cathrine wld be about 57/58 say age as Steven quinn
Christine Reid William Flanagan Catherine would have been 55 I was 10 /11 in February and she was 5 just started school I looked up the names of people that were killed could not find her name maybe they might put it up on the tv
Marian Maguire Remember it well.
Audrey White That must have been really scary!! Xx
Maisie Whittaker It was x
Alison Walker-Hill I remember it well too…..we were all brought into the one room in the house that had shutters on the windows. There was a lot of damage to DLC. an old corrugated iron Anderson type shelter that used to house their tractor was blown to bits with sheets of the corrugated iron embedded in our grass!