Video: Residents left to clear up after storms hit York, Goole and Doncaster

COMMUNITIES in parts of Yorkshire were counting the cost of flash flooding today after half a month’s rain fell in 30 minutes.

The extreme weather caused localised flooding across the region with York, Goole and Doncaster among the worst affected areas, with the storms hitting some people who had seen their homes damaged in the floods of 2007.

In Goole, around 50 firefighters had to pump out homes and businesses after the town was hit by flash floods.

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Humberside Fire Service said it received 135 calls in just three hours as heavy rain caused severe disruption.

A residential home for the elderly and a supermarket in the town centre were among the buildings evacuated.

The Goole firefighters were even forced to pump out their own flooded fire station.

A Humberside Fire Service spokesman said: “It was mainly elderly people who were evacuated. One old people’s home was affected.

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“The residents were moved into a nearby home until the water subsided.”

Goole fire station manager Dave Bristow said: “If people are concerned about flooding they should consider calling the emergency services only for life risk or where the water has caused a hazard due to contact with electrics.”

Meanwhile, questions were being asked about the capability of the town’s ability to cope with flooding.

MP for Brigg and Goole Andrew Percy said: “There have been improvements since 2007 but there are questions to be asked here about what happened to the drainage network. We can’t have this happening every two or three years so I will certainly be asking questions.”

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In Doncaster, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said flash flooding hit the Orchard Street area of Thorne just before 6.00pm.

The brigade pumped out around 10 houses, dispersing the water into the local canal.

Group Manager Stewart Layhe said: “The crews did an excellent job and have been rightly praised by local residents. They came across the flooding as they were returning to the station and immediately stopped to provide assistance.”

There were several reports of giant hailstones falling in places and in York, Tesco’s Askham Bar store had to be evacuated as a precaution after its roof started leaking.

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Half of the nearby village of Dunnignton was left without power after lightening struck a sub-station and heavy rain turned streets to rivers.

Hail “the size of golf balls” left the village a sea of white, knocked down 100-year-old trees and blew down power and phone lines.

Wind also blew score card trailers on to a cricket pitch and into brand new cricket nets costing £30,000, while witnesses said part of an ash tree “exploded” into three pieces and was blown 60ft into the air on to the pristine bowling green.

Dozens of children attending a festival at the village’s sports and children’s play area had to be evacuated.

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A spokesman for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said numerous trees came down on Common Road, and were believed to be blocking the highways and affecting power lines.

Crews were also sent to a house in Stepney Road, Scarborough, after a fire broke out due to a lightning strike. The occupants were out but the fire caused two square metre of damage to the lounge and smoke damage elsewhere in the house.

Parts of Yorkshire received almost a month’s rainfall in just 12 hours, weather experts said. Between 6am and 6pm, Howden received 41.9mm, while Leconfield had 24mm of rain, with 22.6mm falling there over a period of just one hour.

Aisling Creevey, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, said more rain is expected in parts of the country on Thursday, adding: “There’s an active frontal system moving across much of the UK, so there could be further heavy rain falls across eastern England.”