Town centre trading was dealt a major blow as the floods deluged Southend High Street, sparking a power failure.
Stores were forced to close and others battled to mop up on Saturday - the busiest trading day of the week.
An electricity blackout also meant traffic lights in the town centre failed to operate, causing chaos for motorists.
A spokesman for Woolworths in Southend High Street said: "On Saturday morning there was a power failure across the town because of the flooding. We closed the store from 10.30am to 2.30pm while we cleared up all the water, then we reopened."
Jacqueline Fincher, part-owner of the Royal Fish Bar, in Southend High Street, said: "We were really hit by the flooding - it has been a nightmare. There was so much water that it blew out the range and our freezers were literally floating in the basement."
She added she hoped the business would be back open again by tonight.
Published Monday August 12, 2002
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