RESIDENTS and businesses in Louth were today continuing to count the cost of devastating floods.
A belt of rain resulted in monsoon-like conditions as a number of major routes in and out of the town were closed due to flood water.
Shoppers enjoying a busy market day fled for cover and streets were turned into torrents of water.
It came just days after Anglian Water began a £1.2 million flood alleviation scheme.
It is being carried out by construction and engineering firm Barhale.
Spokesman Tom Davy said: "We are just too late.
"But we were working in the area and had pumping equipment, so we have been helping out the residents affected."
East Lindsey District Council environmental protection manager Steve Ross said: "It is nearly as bad as 2007. We are expecting more rain. It is bedlam."
Morrisons closed its store in Eastgate after customers and staff ended up wading through the store ankle deep in flood water at about 10.30am.
Staff used mops and snow shovels to sweep out the water and sandbags were put out.
Store personnel manager Julie Thompson said: "It was just the sheer volume of water.
"It was like a sea outside, the rain fell so quickly. It was ankle deep in the store before we knew it.
"The staff have been superb and we asked the customers to leave. I have never seen it that bad."
At The Co-op, in Northgate, sandbags were erected at the doorway, while staff used mops and buckets to clear the store of rainwater.
After the initial deluge the store closed but reopened by 1.30pm thanks to staff.
A spokesperson for The Co-operative said: "Like many businesses in the local area, our Northgate store in Louth was affected by the adverse weather earlier today, which resulted in minor flooding on the shop floor.
"As a precaution we closed the store for a short time, and we apologise to our customers for any inconvenience caused. No stock was damaged in the incident and, thanks to the hard work of our colleagues, the store was cleaned-up and reopened in less than three hours."
Jo O'Hara, 38, of Eastgate, said residents who had lived in the street for 20 years had never seen flooding so bad.
She said: "It was quite traumatic. We are used to the garden being flooded but it has never reached this level.
"Then we got police at our door telling us to evacuate, so everyone had to go up to the fire station.
"They said they had no sandbags so I thought 'I will use my pillow cases'."
A neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said: "It just flew down (the rain). It is hard to know what would have been the way to fix that.
"Even when motorists saw how badly flooded it was, they carried on going at speed, which caused waves to come into the properties."
She and her husband were evacuated to the fire station along with scores of other residents and a local vicar brought in sandwiches and cakes.
She added: "The evacuation was the most scary part."
Old Mill Park resident Steve Ayres, 63, said he had never been flooded in 25 years.
He blamed flooding defence works carried out nearby two years ago.
He said: "We never had any bother until they did the so-called improvement scheme in Eastgate and Espin Walk.
"The water just comes straight down Trinity Lane, through the gardens of the houses in Eastgate and into mine."
Engineers with Barhale used pumping equipment to clear the flood water from his back garden.
Eastgate resident Lynne Stones, 62, said: "We have never had it this bad before. Louth Building Supplies brought us sandbags as a precaution and then the fire service said we had to be evacuated because of a suspected gas leak, which turned out to be a false alarm."
A resident in Broadbank, who did not wish to be named, said her home is repeatedly flooded when there is heavy rain.
The 2007 flood caused thousands of pounds worth of damage.
She said: "Every time it rains we are nervous. But with the improvement scheme due to be completed by this time next year it should alleviate the stress."
She was anxious to have received a Flood Alert Text message as she returned from a holiday.
She added: "It seems to be more and more surface water, as the river (River Lud) has coped well and flowed out to sea."
Lincolnshire Police Inspector Terry Ball said all the emergency services had worked well together.
He said officers had gone on door-to-door searches for any residents who needed help with the flood water.
Inspector Ball said: "We have had additional staff on including The Specials. The last thing we want is people sitting in flood water not knowing what to do. If they need any help they know to ring 101 or 999 if it is an emergency."
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