Homes in Sutton Bridge were saved from flooding last night as water poured down Lime Street.
Residents said a 10ft high tidal surge led to river water cascading through a riverside drainage valve – but Environment Agency workers put a huge sandbag over the top of the valve and a line of sandbags across the top of Lime Street.
Residents said the river level was between 2ft and six inches from the top of the riverbank and Cross Keys Bridge had to be closed at about 8pm for half-an-hour as around 100 sightseers gathered on the bridge to watch the Nene.
Riverside resident Tom Rowe said it was the worst flooding he’s seen by far.
He said: “We had a catastrophic tide, a surge of approximately 10ft came up the river and engulfed everything in its path.”
Tom had previously lifted his boat out of the water and left it on the riverbank, but both the boat and its trailer were washed into his garden – the garden was also flooded.
His pontoon was wrecked as the surge flipped it over – and the pontoon landed upside down on his jetty.
This morning’s high tide passed off without incident.
Scores of householders received Environment Agency flood warnings yesterday, but it’s understood no one left their homes.
Parish council chairman John Grimwood said: “There wasn’t any actual overtopping, but it was very, very close.”