Communities have today launched clean-up operations following a night of storms and floods.

Coastal areas of Suffolk appeared to escape the worst of last night’s storms, with north Norfolk the worst hit, but officials at Waveney District Council are this morning helping affected areas.

Workers are aiming to collect as many refuse bins as conditions allow, with an early morning inspection in the Southwold/South Lowestoft areas to assess how many Friday collection refuse bins are likely to be collected.

Any catch ups are likely to be made on Saturday. Street cleansing operations will get underway to address the dirt and debris left behind.

Stephen Ardley, deputy leader of the authority said: “The main problems post flood appear to be the significant amount of strewn debris and dislodged items which need clearing and affected areas cleaned up and swept.

“But our teams are already tackling these issues with great enthusiasm. We are very proud of their efforts, both now and last night during what has been a really challenging event.”

Meanwhile, Ray Herring, leader of Suffolk Coastal District Council, praised the way the community has “pulled together”.

“We are still in the process of fully assessing the true impact of last night’s flooding. We are aware there are still some localise road closures and coastal damage, so would warn people to be careful when going out on the roads or returning to their homes,” he said.

“Suffolk Coastal is an integral part of the Suffolk Resilience Forum, so our staff have worked round the clock with the emergency services and our partners to help support our local communities.

“Working with our leisure providers, DCL Leisure, Suffolk Coastal staff have been on duty overnight in the rest centres we set up to provide shelter, as well as food and drink, to those forced to evacuate from their homes.

“Now, working with Suffolk Coastal services, we will be focussing our efforts on assisting with the clean up operation and helping people get their lives back to normal.

“Throughout this period, people across Suffolk Coastal have pulled together, volunteering to work through the night to help the community.

“I would like to thank everyone for their dedication and support in this time of need. We will continue to support and work with the community, as we try to recover from this flooding.”

Additional resources in Suffolk are today inspecting the sea defences in daylight in order to facilitate swift repairs.

The multi-agency response will continue to consider the potential risks around two further significant high tides, one around lunchtime Friday and one around midnight Friday into Saturday.

Suffolk Constabulary has deployed additional resources on the ground to make personal visits to the homes in affected areas to provide advice and guidance around safety and potential evacuation.

A force spokesman said: “It is likely that the county’s state of readiness to respond will be maintained for a protracted period while these are assessed.”

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