In Harold Hill, homes in Taunton Road, Barnstable Road and North Hill Drive were badly affected, with some residents asked to be rehoused rather than return to their flooded homes.
On the railways, trains were halted at Gidea Park, due to flooding at Brentwood and line subsidence at Chelmsford. Army lorries conveyed around 2,000 passengers to their destinations with delays up to five hours.
Local farms incurred heavy losses as fields were awash over a significant area. An estimated million pounds worth of agricultural damage had been caused. Livestock was lost and carcasses were found a week later along the banks of rivers, whilst crops that had been gathered were washed away or destroyed.