RESIDENTS evacuated on Christmas Day returned to their flood-hit homes to assess the heartbreaking damage.

People living at Iford Bridge Home Park were allowed back onto the water damaged site on Thursday morning after the emergency evacuation on Christmas Day.

And while some homes had escaped with minimal damage, many residents were too upset to talk, packing up their essential belongings and leaving the site with their family.

Ann Savin, 73, who has lived on the site for 24 years, said she got the evacuation call at 3.45am on Christmas Day morning.

“The water was four-and-half feet high”, said Anne, who had spent the night with her daughter Tracey Havard.

“We left on a boat. I’ve lived here for 24 years and this is the worst I have ever seen it.

“It came in very, very quickly.

“Within 15minutes it was gushing through the park.

“The water came right up to the edge of my place and I found someone else’s bench in the garden.

“The men on the boats did a really good job. There are people here that are bed ridden and I know one of them was taken straight to hospital.

“This side of the park are able to stay but the other side there are sewage problems.

“There are five or six homes that are flooded as far as I’m aware.

“Some cars have been ruined. The good thing is everyone has pulled together. And it’s not raining today.”

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Michael Squires, 63, who has lived at his Iford home for three years said he was taken from his home in a dinghy about 3am.

“I hadn’t gone to bed that night. I was waiting up to see what happened. We’ve had warnings before – when we were taken to the church but this was worse.

“It’s damaged the carpet and my son-in-law has drilled holes in the floor of the car to let the water out.

“I stayed with my daughter and will be there tonight but hope to get home tomorrow.”

Daughter, Emma Locke said: “He called us about 8am yesterday morning from the day centre. Hopefully we can get him some more carpet and then things will dry out.

“It’s horrible for them, especially at Christmas.”

Susan Holloway, who lives with her husband Walter, said they were told they had 20minutes to get out.

“We’ve lived here for three years and I’ve never seen anything like it”, he said.

“There were cars floating in the car park.

“The water was up to the step when I left.

“We waded through the water to get out.

“I’m a bit shell-shocked now. All the electrical items like the fridge and washing machine are ruined.”

Her son-in-law Neil Merry, who was helping out along with wife Debbie, said: “They picked up what we could from the floor so it was up high and then just left.

“We came back on Christmas Day morning and weren’t allowed in and then again in the evening. It had receded on Boxing Day but when we got in there were still four inches of water.”