FOR so many it was an agonisingly familiar scene - a desperate scramble to rescue valuables and family belongings before the floodwaters wreaked havoc in homes and businesses across the region.

As the rampaging waters finally subsided yesterday morning and the clean-up operation began, friends, neighbours and traders found themselves swapping horror stories about the latest weather-related ordeal.

The cost could again run into millions of pounds and it left one question dominating all conversations - how could this happen again?

Just over a year ago, Kay Konieczny and her husband, Tony, moved back into their home in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, after six months away because of the November 2000 floods.

Yesterday, as people in the town were being evacuated from their homes and the floodwaters lurked just inches from their patio, Mrs Konieczny summed up the misery.

"My husband has just been in hospital for three months, but we are having to move most of our downstairs belongings upstairs and things are being stored in other people's garages and houses.

"The floods in 2000 were the worst for 70 years, but here we are again. There is no official help, nobody you can turn to."

The constant downpour was indeed a record-breaker. RAF Leeming's weather station recorded the highest one-day rainfall since records began in 1971.

Between 10am on Thursday and 7am yesterday, 86.4mm of water was collected. The previous highest, in August 1971, was 48.1mm.

A spokesman for the Met Office confirmed that the new record amounted to nearly twice the average rainfall the area would expect for the whole of August.

Elsewhere in North Yorkshire, Castle Howard, near Malton, has been recording rainfall for the past 50 years - and the 2.3in that fell overnight represented the wettest record yet.

Pickering residents, who have been told that a big flood defence scheme could be more than a year away, felt the frustration more than most. In nearby Sinnington, ten houses were flooded and another 30 cut off from the rest of the village yesterday.

"I have been here five-and-a-half years and this is the third time I've seen a flood," said Andrew Stephens, landlord of the Fox and Hounds pub. "I blame the Environment Agency and the river board for not clearing the river properly."

The Environment Agency said it had dozens of protection schemes lined up for the North-East and North Yorkshire - including Darlington, Redcar and Whitby - during the next ten years, although these are dependent on funds being available.

But if there was to be another sudden torrential downpour similar to that experienced this week in Northallerton, there would be little protection.

Mike Masterman, of North Yorkshire County Council, said: "The rainfall the other night has been likened to a monsoon - and we don't cater for monsoons with our drainage."