'6ft-wide river' engulfs Sompting road in flash flooding

Flash flooding this afternoon has created a torrent of water which one nearby resident described as a '6ft-wide river'.
The flash floods in Halewick Lane, SomptingThe flash floods in Halewick Lane, Sompting
The flash floods in Halewick Lane, Sompting

The torrential rain began this afternoon at around 3.30pm, and soon afterwards, residents of Halewick Lane in Sompting were hit with a river of brown, muddy water running down Titch Hill onto the A27.

A nearby resident who filmed the phenomenon said the 'river' was 6ft wide and 8in deep, and carried chalk, rubble and bricks which she feared would damage cars parked down the lane.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Speaking at 6.15pm, she said: "As I look at it now, it is still running pretty fast. All the drains are blocked and it is now about 5ft wide, although it is much less violent.

The flash floods in Halewick Lane, SomptingThe flash floods in Halewick Lane, Sompting
The flash floods in Halewick Lane, Sompting

"It has been an accident waiting to happen."

A West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said an officer was sent to the road to assess the problem, and as the drains were filled with silt, they contacted the West Sussex Highways department to unblock them.

The spokesman said: "They have been informed of the severity of the situation and they will make it a priority as soon as possible."

He also confirmed that the fire service had been called to another report of flooding in Worthing and other calls in Chichester, but added it was 'not of the extremes we have seen in the past'.