Military not equipped to deal with flooding as torrential rain strikes

Homes and firms across England and Wales were flooded by up to 5ft of water yesterday after six hours of rain.

Emergency services in Devon and Cornwall received at least 50 calls to flooded homes and stranded motorists. Retained firefighters were called in after the Ministry of Defence said its Green Goddesses were not equipped to deal with floods.

In the Cornish town of St Ives, a lifeboat rescued 18 people including a 90-year-old woman after a surge of water strong enough to lift people off their feet swept through the town centre.Retained firefighters helped to ferry people to safety.

Jimmy Miller, of Falmouth Coastguard, said: "Doors were broken down by the force of the floods. The lifeboatmen were walking through the town up to their chins in water."

Roads were closed in the South-west as rivers turned into torrents, forcing drivers to abandon their cars. Devon County Council said it had run out of road flood warning signs by yesterday morning.

The Environment Agency said there were 57 flood warnings in force across the South West, Midlands, East Anglia, the South Coast and Wales.

One of the worst affected villages of the October 2000 floods, Yalding in Kent, faced rising water levels from the Medway, Teise and Beult rivers. Sandbags were in place to stop flooding to gardens and cottages while recreation grounds and fields were partly submerged.

An Environment Agency spokeswoman said: "Our local office expect the rivers to overflow their banks and wash into gardens and fields." But she added: "It is not expected to be like October 2000."In that flood, some villagers had to be rescued by boat as water levels in houses rose to 4ft.

Fire controllers across Britain said the strike had not affected their ability to cope.