Local authorities took a leading role in making sure the dangerous winds did not leave a trail of destruction for Monday morning commuters and workers.
A Rochford Council spokesman said it was probably one of the authority's busiest days in years.
He said: "The credit is all due to our workers and management team who have provided an excellent out-of-hours service. Our response plan was followed and between our council officers and county council officers for highway issues, we were able to keep on top of any problem which arose."
A spokesman for Basildon Council said its emergency hotline received around 60 calls yesterday - the first call coming in at 4.30am.
Tabitha Wilson, spokeswoman for Thurrock Council, said: "At some points it felt like we were dealing with thousands of calls. In addition to the normal jobs, such as social service related problems, we had calls about the weather."
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