THOUSANDS of homes were last night still without power as the effect of Sunday's freak storms continued to wreak havoc across the region.

Insurers warned the cost of the storm damage could run into tens of millions of pounds, and the aftermath could take months to repair.

A month's worth of rain - 70 millimetres - fell in three hours, bringing chaos to the North-East and North Yorkshire on Sunday.

Witnesses described how they were confronted with a 5ft wall of water washing through the streets, and several frightened people caught up in the storm had to be airlifted to safety after taking shelter in trees, on car roofs and on top of gates.

Police, fire and ambulance crews, mountain search and rescue teams and two RAF helicopters were involved in the rescue effort, and recorded huge numbers of emergency calls.

Villages were cut off after bridges and roads were washed away, and homes were evacuated amidst the rising waters.

Several routes across the region, including parts of the A167 near Helmsley, remained closed last night, and many villages could only be accessed on foot.

Homes across the region had their power cut when lines were hit. Energy companies NEDL and YEDL worked through the night to ensure more than 30,000 homes regained electricity yesterday.

Water levels peaked at 1.37am yesterday, and forecasters predict no more rain in the coming days.