NEIL Armstrong walked on the moon the last time Wellington suffered such heavy rain as fell on Sunday.

Meteorologists said the area had not seen anything like it since July, 1969 – 54 years ago.

More than a month’s worth of rain deluged the town and surrounding villages in the space of less than 24 hours.

Homes and businesses across the area were flooded, some residents had to be re-homed, and major and minor roads were closed.

Police advised people not to travel except in an emergency and local firefighters were working to capacity trying to pump away floodwaters.

Social media was awash - pun intended - with shocking videos and photographs of roads turned into rivers and homes and businesses standing in lakes.

And the town was bracing itself for more to come with a Met Office forecast of further heavy rainfall into the weekend.

Somerset Council was sending out messages on social media channels to remind residents to protect homes and businesses if they were worried about more flooding and highlighting that autumn and winter were on the way with a likelihood of more heavy rain and potential floods.

However, a major clear-up operation quickly swung into action and while there were still large areas of mud to be seen, much of the area was getting back to normal by mid-week.

Somerset Council said on Thursday all major roads had been cleared and it was now working its way through the minor roads.

The council said its teams had been on the ground since Sunday working with local groups and gathering information about where help was needed.

It said it was the third time Somerset had seen such an event this year and while it could not say climate change was to blame, the science told it these events would likely happen more often.

The Monsoon-style weather stretched emergency services to the point where Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service was receiving so many calls that it asked people only to ring if there was an actual risk to life.

In Wellington, Seymour Street at its junction with Holyoake Street and Brendon Road was almost knee deep in water and residents had to help push cars free.

Elderly persons sheltered bungalows in Bovet Street and George Street were ankle deep in water and five tenants had to be re-homed by Somerset Council.

Bagley Road, in Rockwell Green, became like a river, and Burchills Hill saw vehicles becoming stuck by the bridge near Fivehouses.

The lower area of Oaken Ground, Rockwell Green, saw several houses flooded with knee deep water, while the route across The Basins between Rockwell Green and Wellington was impassable, forcing the town council to consider if a system of sluice gates will need to be installed.

The Westford stream burst its banks and flooded several properties in Lower Westford and blocked the road near Rackfield.

Still in Rockwell Green, the Dobree Park housing estate, Popes Lane, and Andrew Allen Road saw deep standing water, and several families in Ditchford Cottages saw their homes inundated.

Mantle Street was under a foot of water but was passable with care, as was Exeter Road on the other side of Hilly Head, while Champford Lane around Walkers Gate was turned into a millstream pond.

Improvement Place, Martins Buildings, Sylvan Road, and Red Lion Court all saw buildings damaged.

A car came off the road and hit a tree on the Wellington to Milverton road between Burn Hill and Chipley. It is not known if there were any injuries.

Wellington Relief Road was under water in several places and a car became trapped between Nowers Lane and Oldway Road in the middle of the floodwaters.

Wellington’s Waitrose supermarket was inundated by floodwaters flowing six inches deep through its car park, and Pyles Thorne Road appeared impassable with vehicles turning back after attempting to get through.

The Cades and Longforth Farm housing estates appeared to have avoided most of the issues with only some water on the highway near Popham Road and in Nash Drive.

The north end of Tonedale saw roads flooded but mitigation measures, including a huge bund put in place when Thomas Fox Road was built appeared to have prevented homes suffering. 

Several roads approaching and in Nynehead were flooded for the third time this year, and roads around Bradford on Tone and Oake were reported to be impassable.

A flood alert was issued by the Environment Agency for the Rivers Clyst and Culm and their tributaries, which threatened roads and some properties in Hemyock, Culmstock, and Uffculme.