Wirksworth families forced out of homes by flood

A flood forced residents out of their homes after water seeped into their basements and living rooms.

Fire crews were called to Wash Green, Wirksworth, at 5pm on Thursday after receiving reports of flash flooding in several properties.

Later in the evening, the crews were pumping out the homes and helping residents clean up after heavy rain hit the county.

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One resident said that some people had up to two feet of water in their houses and had to move out for the time being.

George Jurgens, who lives in Wash Green, said his house only just escaped the worst of the flood, although water was seeping through his door.

He added: “I just looked out my curtain and could see the street all flooded.

“It went into the basements of the houses across the road, it was two feet deep in their living rooms. They have all moved out because it was that bad.

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“It didn’t affect us, just the houses across the street, but water was seeping through our back door a bit.”

Another resident described what had happened as ‘unbelievable’.

Pat Spencer, who helped to clean one of the homes that was been flooded, said the water was sweeping wheelie bins along with it.

She added: “Everything is soaking wet throughout the house. There is sludge under the kitchen table.

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“The water swilled all down Wash Green, it went through all the gates and just wherever it could get.”

Sandbags remain outside the doors of the houses that have been affected, which are at the bottom of the B5035 Wash Green, next to Wirksworth Junior School.

The carpet in the living room of one house was left soaked through by the flood, dirty water had also got into the kitchen and carried mud and sludge in with it.

As well as affecting houses in Wash Green, the heavy rain caused flooding to other parts of Wirksworth, including the road outside the Co-operative Food building and petrol station in Harrison Drive.