RESIDENTS and businesses determined not to be beaten by the weather set up defences and waded in to clear up, after Storm Ciara left a trail of mayhem in its wake, flooding homes and businesses, closing roads and delaying trains.

For some in the Yorkshire Dales it brought back nightmares of the deluge which caused devastation last summer. Emergency services were applauded for their work, pumping out flood water and rescuing trapped people from cars.

Train services were delayed and passengers urged to check before travelling but by last night Network Rail said most of the damage had been repaired.

In Swaledale the Swale and Arkle Becks broke their banks, swamping the area in two metres of flood water. Stuart Price of the Dales Bike Centre at Grinton said they were ready with their own floodgates and water pumps and local people came to help.

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“Although there was about a metre around the place we were determined to keep the water out, some did come in but it was only a small amount. We were prepared,” said Stuart.

The nearby Bridge Inn was hit again with water seeping into the cellar and parts of the pub. Landlord Andrew Atkins said they are trying to reopen as soon as possible.

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Award winning butcher Richard Welford, who runs Beavers in Masham, said it was the third time in six months they had been on standby because of flooding. Swinny Beck, which feeds into the Ure, overtopped, sending water cascading down the main street. “Some did come in this time, we have our own floodgate and sandbags, and we can usually keep it out but it is a concern when there is heavy rain and storms. We won’t be beaten, but we really need help, there needs to be an investigation to clear drains and carry out work on the beck,” said Richard.

The main issues yesterday centred on the Swale, Ouse and Ure Rivers. Several roads were closed, including the main A684 road from Northallerton to the A1 and the Dales, which was blocked by up to two feet of flood water at Morton on Swale bridge.

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Across North Yorkshire the Local Resilience Forum coordinated action. Chairman Richard Flinton said: “The Fire and Rescue Service responded to 34 calls to flooded properties and more than 81 calls came into the county council’s highways out-of-hours service. All the school transport fleet went out with some flood diversions but just four schools were closed and they were linked to power or access issues.”

The Environment Agency scaled down flood warnings in the region to 40 last night but urged people to be vigilant. There were still major problems in the lower areas with peak flooding in York expected to be between 4am and 5am this morning.

Councillor Heather Scott, leader of Darlington Borough Council, said staff had been helping people in Hurworth after the River Tees burst its banks. “It’s always dramatic when the river bursts, but thankfully the damage seems to be minimal so far," she said.

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"I would like to thank everyone involved in providing such an effective response. Roads and paths have been swept and drains are checked regularly to ensure they can cope. I can assure residents that if any lessons need to be learnt, they will be.”

Superintendent Jason Dickson, of North Yorkshire Police, said: “Our officers, staff and volunteers worked extremely hard to help people and meet the demands brought about by the weather.”

Deputy Chief Fire Officer Jon Foster added: “Our crews had over 180 calls taken through our control room in a 24-hour period. There was a great response from a number of partner organisations and volunteer groups who all pulled together to help local communities.”

There is now a warning that falling temperatures could result in snow and ice on wet road surfaces across the region, with drivers urged to take extra care.