FLOODS across the Dunmow area caused widespread disruption over the weekend as the rising water alarmed residents and motorists. The B184 between Great Dunmow and Thaxted was flooded to dangerous levels at around 8.30pm on Saturday as police were called t

FLOODS across the Dunmow area caused widespread disruption over the weekend as the rising water alarmed residents and motorists.

The B184 between Great Dunmow and Thaxted was flooded to dangerous levels at around 8.30pm on Saturday as police were called to divert traffic.

The police were called by two unnamed heroes who had been waving down traffic and guiding cars around the flood, without their help cars would have been stranded.

The B1057 just outside Great Bardfield turned into a river making it almost impassable to traffic on Saturday night.

Residents had feared for their homes as unrelenting rain poured down throughout Saturday.

Jenny Lynn of Ash Grove in Great Dunmow, placed sandbags around her house because seven years ago her home flooded when a nearby brook broke its banks.

She said: "We have seen the devastation to houses on the news from last summer. This house flooded seven years ago and was destroyed, so heavy rain is always a threat and we wanted to avoid that happening again."

Finchingfield was on standby for floods as the river running through the village centre broke its banks and saturated the village green on Saturday morning.

Homeowners and shop owners stood outside waiting anxiously to see how high the water would rise.

Peter Curry, owner of Finchingfield Antiques Centre, said: "We were flooded here seven years ago and it took us seven months to get back on track, we had insurance wrangles and so much of our stock was ruined. The pub and tea rooms next door had the same problems."

Nervously staff at the shops and pub looked on as the water filled the entire village green just in front of the premises.

Mr Curry said: "It has risen past the war memorial on many occasions in the seven years since but luckily we have avoided any flooding, we just hope the rain stops."

Luckily for Finchingfield the rain did stop on Sunday morning and the waters began to recede returning to normal levels on Monday.

Speaking after the potential disaster was averted, Mr Curry told the Broadcast of his relief the flood hadn't badly affected the village.

He said: "This was a massive improvement on previous years, the Environment Agency has done a good job with flood defences and drainage in the area, without

the improvements we have seen around Finchingfield the amount of rain at the weekend would have flooded all our homes and businesses without a doubt."

l HAVE you got pictures of the flooding over the weekend or that of seven years ago? Send your pictures with a brief explanation to the newsdesk at editor@dunmow-broadcast.co.uk and we will put some of them online.