EMERGENCY services were stretched to the limit as Suffolk received a battering at the hands of the elements.On the eve of the 15th anniversary of the 1987 storm that devastated the country, it seemed that history was repeating itself.

By Georgina James

EMERGENCY services were stretched to the limit as Suffolk received a battering at the hands of the elements.

On the eve of the 15th anniversary of the 1987 storm that devastated the country, it seemed that history was repeating itself.

Emergency services responded to a vast volumes of calls.

The fire service called in additional staff to the control room to help deal with the large number of calls, including an unusually high number reporting flooding to people's homes.

Bad weather affected the roads, with 20 road accidents in Suffolk reported between 4pm yesterday and 9am today.

Storms cut power to residents in the Foxhall and Brightwell area, who were still without power today. Some homes in Capel St Mary were also without electricity.

A spokesman for 24Seven today said: "About 12 homes in the Foxhall and Brightwell area have been affected and have not had power in their homes since yesterday afternoon. We hope to have the problem fixed very soon. We also received two calls from people in Capel St Mary."

Fire crews in Suffolk were inundated with hundreds of flood-related calls as heavy rain and flooding left parts of the county under water, with the north and coastal areas being hardest hit.

Eddie Meelan, divisional officer at Colchester Road, said: "Between 4.30pm yesterday and 1am today we received 225 flood related calls.

"In total 19 appliances were used, with the worst affected areas being Woodbridge, Lowestoft, Saxmundham and Kessingland.

"We also had to deal with routine incidents such as four fires and three road traffic accidents.

"The control room was under a lot of pressure but everybody worked extremely hard and coped very well."

Road accidents between 4pm yesterday and 9am today:

4.33pm A140 Creeting St Mary, Car left carriageway, non injury.

4.36pm Church Road, Lowestoft, two vehicle RTA, non injury.

5.06pm A14 Trimley St Mary, two vehicle shunt at the DockSpur roundabout.

5.41pm A12 Woodbridge, between Haugh Lane and Shell garage, collision between a car and a lorry.

5.48pm A12 Copdock, three car crash, non injury.

5.58pm Rayburn Road, Ipswich, collision between a car and motorbike. Motorcyclist taken to Ipswich Hospital.

6.47pm Oulton Road, Oulton, four vehicle crash.

7.07pm Violet Hill, Stowmarket, two vehicle accident.

7.15pm A134 Bradfield Combust, near Bury St Edmunds, three vehicle collision, four people trapped and two casualties were taken to hospital.

7.47pm B1070 Hadleigh, single vehicle crash.

8.16pm A140 Stuston, one vehicle rolled on roof.

8.59pm B1083 Sutton, near Woodbridge, car hit tree.

10.57pm A12 East Bergholt, one vehicle accident, one person trapped and taken to West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St Edmunds with head injuries.

1.17am Foxhall Road, Ipswich, car hit a fence swerving to avoid a Fox.

5.03am A140 Coddenham, trailer full of live chickens overturned.

5.15am B1112 Lakenheath, single vehicle accident.

7.03am B1118 Hoxne, single vehicle crash, driver taken to hospital.

8.03am Sheep Drift Road, Walderingfield, collision between a car and a bus.

8.52am A134, Sudbury Road, Sicklesmere, three vehicle collision.

9.00am Norwich Road, Ipswich, two vehicle road crash.