Homes and businesses across Waveney recover from torrential downpours

A Bungay garden flooded after Sunday's deluge. (Image: Archant)

St Mary's Street in Bungay was one of the worst-hit areas with the Skyway Chinese takeaway flooding for the third time in the last few months.

Tracey Chang, who runs the takeaway with her husband Michael, said the flooding had caused her family a great deal of stress and had damaged her premises.

She said: 'We have been trading for 35 years and it has never happened before. It's only since the new road layout has been done.

'The drainage is not flowing and it can't cope with that much rain.

Clearing up after the floods at St Mary's Street, Bungay. (Image: Archant)

'The water just sits on the pavement and, because it is sloped, it runs off into our shop. We tried to sweep it onto the road but there isn't a kerb so it was just coming back.

'It is just so stressful mentally, because every time it rains now we are worried we are going to flood. We have put sandbags by the front door but it's not good for the business.'

The torrential rain and violent thunderstorms over Bungay last Sunday also caused flash flooding on other roads with a section of Upper Olland Street under four inches of water and several gardens and garages in St John's Road underwater. Shops in Earsham Street were also affected, along with houses in Outney Road and Bridge Street and in nearby Ditchingham.

The issue was discussed at a Bungay Town Council meeting on Monday, with Mrs Chang calling for work to be done to prevent any more flooding.

Town mayor Sylvia Knights said: 'It is disappointing that the recent extreme weather has resulted in flooding of premises and obviously very distressing for those affected. I was in contact with Suffolk Highways – both on the previous occasion and last weekend – as soon as I became aware of the flooding, requesting urgent action be taken to resolve the problem.

'It is important to ensure a complete and long-term resolution rather than just a short-term fix and I understand that survey work will be undertaken immediately to establish the full cause, before the necessary remedial work commences. I will be maintaining contact with all those responsible to ensure that the situation is satisfactorily resolved with least delay.'

Bungay resident Terry Reeve said it was the first time in the 15 years he had been there that his garden in St John's Road had been flooded, though the access drive to the back of the properties had flooded regularly.

A telegraph pole in Bridge Street was struck by lightning at the height of the storm, blowing out computers and other equipment in some homes in the area. The flooding also resulted in a premature end to the Bungay Garden Art Trail on Sunday afternoon.

Residents of Beccles and the surrounding areas were at their windows watching the storm, with many capturing the lightning illuminating the sky.

A spokesman from Suffolk County Council said they are investigating the issue as a priority.