A tree came down on a charity hall during Storm Darragh, cancelling the group’s Christmas events as the high winds wreaked havoc elsewhere across the city.
Southampton Sight was set to host a variety of festivities for their guests with sight loss at their hall on Bassett Avenue, including a children's party on December 18.
But as winds reached gust speeds of 60mph on Saturday, a tree fell onto the roof of their building, putting all plans up in the air as the charity cannot use the venue.
Charity chief executive Jackie Powers said that she "has no idea" how much repairs will cost the charity, who do not receive funding from Southampton City Council.
But she does know that the hall will be out of use until after Christmas.
“The ground was waterlogged and with these big trees near Southampton Common, they’re all protected, every single one of them.
“We can’t cut any of them down so we’re really vulnerable and I think because the roots of these trees look really shallow, I think more trees could be vulnerable in the wind.”
READ MORE: Trees fall and ferries suspended as storm hits - Saturday recap
While the building is insured, Jackie does not know if they will be covered by natural accidents, and regardless the charity loses its venue during its busiest time of the year.
Nobody was injured by the tree, but Jackie explained that a group of disabled children should have been in the building at the time.
Jackie said: “What was really lucky was that one of the neighbours saw the tree had started to shift.
“He ran to put a note up on the door of the hall so when the group arrived they didn’t go in.
“The problem is that we’re a very old building. It was built in the 1960s and we still don’t know how bad this damage will be.”
Jackie said the charity’s members do not yet know about the damage to the building, but said they will be devastated when they find out.
READ MORE: Southampton charity's 125 years of supporting blind and partially sighted people
Jackie added: “We can’t do anything in that building now, you can’t take any risks with anything.
“We’re hoping for a pub or a group to help us out on December 18 when we’ve got a lunch and a party in the evening.
“It’s been so crazy and saying things about how we’ve lived through World Wars and governments, saying whatever happens we survive. But this is a real test with us.
“We do great support that keeps people away from the hospital, but we don’t get recompensed for that.”
Elsewhere, police closed part of Shirley Avenue on Saturday, December 7, after a tree split and landed near two vehicles parked in a driveway.
READ MORE: Southampton ferry services on Saturday scrapped as Storm Darragh hits
The tree blocked the house’s driveway and meant that the two cars parked would not be able to leave the property.
Jake Dryver was on a run when he stopped on Shirley Avenue to look at the fallen tree.
He hoped that the van the tree fell on was not a work van used for somebody’s day to day employment, saying that damage to a work van so close to Christmas would be “so sad.”
A tree surgeon attended to cut down the remainder of the split tree and the road was reopened around 2.15pm.
In Warren Crescent, a tree from Shirley Warren Primary School fell into the road on the same day, not damaging any vehicles but obstructing the road.
Events were cancelled throughout the day too, as Carlton Place and Eastleigh's Christmas markets could not go ahead.
READ MORE: High winds hit as storm conditions remain - Sunday recap
Royal Victoria Country Park - along with other parks run by Hampshire County Council - were closed Saturday.
Southampton parkrun was forced to cancel a weekly run in the Common during to a tree falling on the path over the Common bridge on the approach to the crossroads.
The Christmas market in the city centre opened later at 12pm and rides were not back in action until 3pm due to the high winds.
A downed tree caused Bluestar buses to divert on their way to the waterside as a fallen tree obstructed the road on Buttsbridge Road.
Travellers also were left stranded as the 60mph winds forced Red Funnel to cancel the majority of Saturday’s services to the Isle of Wight.
Only a handful of Red Jet passenger ferries journeys ran in the afternoon but the boat returned to normal timetable after 7:30am on Sunday.
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