THE heavy rain caused chaos on Friday when the Kingsley stream burst its banks, leaving the paddock and surrounding fields submerged. The bad weather left many roads closed and some homes battling against rising water levels. Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) dealt with more than 750 flooding-related incidents on Friday alone, during which time the service said its control operators 'coped extremely well with a wide range of incident calls from across the county'. HFRS also received and processed numerous 999 calls from neighbouring fire and rescue authorities. The Fire Control staff were in regular communication with their counterparts across the South East region throughout the day. Deputy chief officer Dave Curry commended the staff in fire control. He said: "As a service, we have handled the challenging conditions caused by Friday's emergencies with utmost professionalism and efficiency." Hampshire police were also busy, as officers from the North and East Operational Command Unit (OCU) sent out warning to motorists, urging them to drive cautiously following the heavy rain. A number of road closures were put in place in Hart, Rushmoor, Basingstoke and East Hampshire and pockets of flooding were reported throughout the districts. Inspector Colin Feely said: "I would like to ask residents to be extra cautious when driving on wet roads. "Make sure you keep a safe distance from the car in front as wet roads can mean a driver's stopping distance will double. Drive slowly and remember that wet roads can become slippery and hazardous. "If you would like any more information about road safety please contact your local police station on 0845 0454545." For non-emergency flooding incidents, residents and visitors to Hampshire should call the Environment Agency Floodline on 0845 9881188.
