Sunderland businesses clean up after heavy rain brings flooding to neighbourhoods

Social media reports showed images of floodwater in Ryhope, while Tunstall Vale in Ashbrooke and Ryhope Road in Grangetown also saw large amounts of water collecting as drains proved unable to cope.

Residents in Ryhope Road rushed to unblock drains as water spread across the entire carriageway and started to seep into businesses.

Kayleigh Fawcett and husband Alex run central heating supplier Housewarmers in the street.

Alex had to rush through from the family home in Seaham after the couple were alerted to the rising waters on social media.

Although water did make it into the shop, he arrived in time to move valuable items from the front of the building to the rear.

“Fortunately, we got the stock moved in time,” said Kayleigh.

“We had two boilers that were going out - they had been prepped and were ready to go, and that’s £1,000 a pop - as well as an expensive fire.

“As it is, all we have to to worry about this morning is a soggy carpet and some wet cardboard, rather than thousands of pounds of lost stock.

“We had seen pictures of what was happening on Facebook, so he was here at about 7.40pm.”

The downpour had been exacerbated by a blocked drain directly outside the shop.

“We are very grateful for everyone who helped because it could have been very different if they had not unblocked that drain,” said Kayleigh.

Cheratan Sharma manages the fish and chip takeaway next door to Housewarmers. He and staff have spent the morning cleaning the kitchen after water entered the shop.

“It started about half six to seven o’clock,” he said.

Cheratan was also alerted by pictures on social media and rushed down to find members of the community already at work: “When I got here everyone was out helping in the street,” he said.

“There was water through the whole shop and we have been cleaning up. To serve food, we have had to sanitise everything.”

One resident, who did not wish to be named, said he and neighbours had been forced to improvise in order to unblock the drains: “We had to go across and use whatever we had in the garage,” he said.

“It was just a downpour and it reached the end of the drive - the whole pavement was covered.”

Cllr Lyall Reed, whose St Michael’s ward covers Tunstall Vale, said he had ‘genuine questions and concerns’ about some of the city’s drainage: “I have had many residents get in touch about fears of sunken drains and regular flooding locations,” he said,

“The heavy rains we have seen this week have only made me even more worried about the very ground beneath our feet. Residents and businesses in my ward have been washed out because our drains can’t seem to handle seasonal and predictable heavy rain - Heavy rain that will happen again and happens every year.

“There have been incidents of collapsed drains in my ward, and I think all partners need to work together tackle this issue and to make sure our streets don’t flood or collapse.”

Other areas affected by flooding include the railway arch on the road to Seaham and the A1(M) in Couty Durham, which has been closed in both directions.