A landslide prompted the closure of Chalkwell seafront as flood waters battered the area.
The sheer volume of water flooding from Seaforth Road caused the cliff to collapsed, scattering soil onto the road below.
But much of the debris was washed straight into the sea by rain water, which observers said was "like a muddy river".
Dorothy Moore, of Palmeira Road, Westcliff, watched the collapse from her window. She said: "The rain was coming down from the streets and the drains couldn't take it. You couldn't see the steps down the hill to the seafront - it was like Niagara Falls."
Published Monday August 12, 2002
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