RESIDENTS had to evacuate their homes in Ulverston after the streets flooded with water following a torrential downpour.

The Environment Agency issued flood alerts for homes in the catchment areas for the rivers Duddon, Crake and Mill Beck and other watercourses from Coniston to Barrow on Sunday afternoon.

Ulverston was one of the towns that experienced flooding as the drains quickly became overwhelmed by the amount of water that fell during a period of thunderstorms. Areas that people from the town said were flooded included the Coast Road, Oakwood Drive, The Ellers, Watery Lane, Bailey Street, Dale Street, William Street, Kingsway and North Lonsdale Terrace.

Cat Moffat took photos of residents using inflatable boats to cross the street. She said: “There are bubbles coming up through the road. Toilets are flooding into people’s bathrooms. Everyone is moving their furniture upstairs and people are evacuating.

“I absolutely adore the fact that folk are making the best of a really rubbish situation.”

READ MORE: Flood alerts given for Duddon, Crake and Mill Beck

She said the flooding dispersed quickly afterwards but ‘I think quite a few houses have been affected in Ulverston.’

Jessica Flood was driving through the town and caught a video of water pouring down Oakwood Drive. She said: “The rain was pretty scary. A lot of people have had their homes flooded, it’s very upsetting. There’s a real community spirit in Ulverston and everyone was helping each other out.”

Victoria Georgina Fryer lives in The Ellers. Her cellar was flooded by the rainwater and she said that the water was ‘quite deep.’ She said: “We were pretty lucky that we didn’t have anything too valuable or sentimental in the cellar and we’re in the middle of sorting it out anyway.” The water drained away quickly in the evening but still left damage.

Rochelle Davey caught a video of a man putting a rod down a drain to try and unblock the standing water around a car on Watery Lane.