Extent of Abingdon floods shown by pictures after Tesco closed

Chilton Close in Abingdon was flooded on March 31 and residents have told the Oxford Mail they couldn’t believe how much water started to engulf their homes.

This flooding took place in the same week in which the Tesco Extra in Abingdon was forced to close for two days on Sunday, April 2, after floodwater from the River Ock deluged the car park.

Resident from Chilton close stands in flood water (Image: Contributed)

Nic Crawford, a Chilton close householder and owner of the Spread Eagle pub, said he believed the nearby culvert was to blame for the flooding.

Speaking about the experience on March 31, Mr Crawford said it was “unbelievable how much flood water poured into our close”.

He added: “We did feel helpless.

“There was so much water coming into our homes in such a short space of time.”

Road flooded in Chilton close (Image: Contributed)

Mr Crawford said the flooding ruined the entire bottom floor of his house and he estimated he would have to pay costs of £30,000 upwards to get the floor back into the condition it was in prior to the flood.

Another Chilton Close householder, Wendy Wirduam, said she “couldn’t believe it was happening” when the floodwater started to rise at around 9.30pm on March 31.

Ms Wirduam said two officers from the Environment Agency arrived at 4.30pm to examine the area.

Later on when the area was starting to flood, Ms Wirdaum phoned the Environment Agency at 10pm to call for help but nobody came out.

The Environment Agency has been approached and declined to comment.

A flood alert for the Abingdon area had been issued by the Environment Agency on Friday night.

Ms Wirduam explained: “The flooding wasn’t nice because we have pets as well.

“You just don’t need the hassle and I couldn’t believe it was happening.”

The severe flooding in South Oxfordshire also led to fire fighters having to rescue a van driver in West Hanney after he became trapped in a flood.

Cars flooded (Image: Contributed)

The incident occurred on the road towards Denchworth, and firefighters from Abingdon Fire Station were called to the emergency and rescued the man in a canoe.

The lane in West Hanney was completely flooded due to the recent heavy rainfall.

On the same night Chilton Close was flooded, a wildlife rescue service was forced to suspend its operations after their centre flooded.

Staff at the centre on Woodway Road Blewbury in Upton, near Didcot, were forced to remove water with buckets and salvage expensive equipment.

Sick animals were also relocated from the affected area.

A spokesman for Oxfordshire County Council has said the council attended 27 locations between the hours of 5pm and 1am on March 31.

They said: "Oxfordshire County Council’s out of hours crew attended Chilton Close, Abingdon, at around midnight where flood boards were erected."

The spokesman clarified that individual properties would not be visited by the council unless there is a specific risk or danger to residents.