Torrential downpours caused flash floods which left a trail of disruption.
It's a start - but an umbrella won't be much use for this resident struggling to cope with flash flooding
North Essex was lashed by rain yesterday, and police, firefighters and council workers were called on to deal with the results.
Both police and Colchester firefighters warned people of the dangerous driving conditions caused by the rain, in particular on the A12.
"The wet weather causes a lot of extra problems on the road because people do still travel too fast," said Sylvia Bloomfield, of Stanway traffic police.
"People just don't adjust their driving to the conditions. There is a lot of water on the road and people are aquaplaning."
The villages of Stanway and Tiptree were both badly affected by the rain.
Blackberry Road and Holly Road bore the brunt of the problem in Stanway, as drains were unable to cope with the volume of water and roads became almost impassable.
In Blackberry Road, the levels rose to about knee height and lorries and other goods vehicles sent bow waves cascading over pedestrians.
Colchester Road in Tiptree was also flooded, although Tiptree councillor Tony Webb said it could have been worse.
A north Essex resident uses sandbags to protect his property from the floods
He said: "There is certainly a lot of water about, but if it was people's homes at risk then it would be much more of an issue. Most residents know the thing to do is to call Colchester Council so it can deal with it.
Published Thursday November 7, 2002
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