Firefighters were called to 70 flooding calls in Croydon in just one hour due to heavy storm weather yesterday afternoon.
Between 1550 and 1650 fire crews attended a number of people trapped by flash floods and rising water levels. Firefighters used sandbags to try and prevent water coming into people’s homes.
On Brighton Road in Coulsdon a ceiling collapsed at a car showroom because of biblical rain that fell. Ten people escaped uninjured.
With more electrical storms and localised flooding the Brigade is asking people take extra care as the weather can change quickly and roads can become impassable.
The Brigade has issued three top flooding safety tips:
The Brigade has a range of equipment which can be used to help rescue people trapped by flood water, pump water away and protect properties. Fire rescue units, are equipped with water rescue equipment such as inflatable rescue boats.
The Brigade also has four specialist flood response kits, each of which contains rigid flood rescue boats and paddles and rigid floating pontoons, which can be used to make bridges and walkways to rescue people. They contain protective dry suits and boots to be worn by fire crews when rescuing people from flooded areas.