The village just after the storm devastation.
Exactly 10 years on from the devastating plane crash, which occurred on the 30th December 1993, Emmerdale Village was rocked by another disaster, a storm.
The storm struck on New Years Eve 2003, during w:c:emmerdale:w:c:emmerdale:Episode 3622 (31st December 2003) and w:c:emmerdale:w:c:emmerdale:Episode 3623/3624 (1st January 2004). Ashley was driving back to the village when he crashed his car near Skipdale Bridge. Louise Appleton was a passenger.
The Dingle's were trapped inside their home at Wishing Well Cottage whilst Jack Sugden and his adopted son Andy struggled in the high winds to put their livestock away.
Tricia Dingle was estranged from husband Marlon at the time due to an affair he had withy Charity Tate whilst Tricia was in India. However when Marlon wrote a list of the
Paramedics rush to help Tricia.
101 things he loved about her she decided to forgive him. As she approached the Woolpack a bolt of lightning struck an oak tree causing Tricia to trip and she fell down outside the front of the Woolpack. Another bolt struck the top left chimney causing the roof and part of the wall to collapse, and Tricia was trapped under the rubble after it fell on her, seriously injuring her.
Tricia was later airlifted to hospital and was later declared brain dead. Ashley and Louise were taken to hospital. Ashley almost had to have his leg amputated but managed to recover. Bernice Thomas made a short return to the village afterwards.
Background info.[]
- The storm took place on the 10th anniversary of the infamous plane crash which devastated the village 10 years earlier. Some of the stunts that happened in the storm also happened in the plane crash such as: -
- The Woolpack was damaged in both storylines. In the plane crash a fireball struck the wine bar at the back, injuring Chris Tate, and another fireball struck the small car park at the front of the pub, blowing the windows in. In the storm a bolt of lightning struck one of the chimneys of the roof of the pub, causing the chimney to collapse in, much of the roof to fall in and part of the front wall to collapse, right onto Tricia Dingle..
- Wreckage from the plane caused Joe Sugden to crash his car and in the storm as Ashley swerved to avoid a fallen tree his car crashed into a river.
- Wreckage from the plane crash caused many fires in the village main street. In the storm a bolt of lightning struck an oak tree near the Post Office in Main Street.