When the going gets tough the people of Blyth show their community spirit.
Tuesday the 8th of October saw torrential downpours across much of the North East, but Blyth got more than it's fair share.
The relentless rain which had begun late the previous night hardly let up for a second, resulted in numerous areas of the town finding themselves dealing with flooding.
The town centre was one of the areas hit hardest, several residential areas were also badly affected.
Recently built housing on the former Bates Colliery site were flooded for the second time
in the space of a year. Several parts of Cowpen also found themselves dealing with near waist high water, with Brierly Road, which has been a flooding hotspot for decades badly hit yet again.
Social media was inundated with photos from worried residents showing numerous areas of the town submerged.
The images above were being shared widely on social media last night, if you would like a credit for one of them please get in touch.
As the extent of the damage became clear, offers of help began to be made from local businesses and members of the public who were less affected than their neighbours.
The Percy Arms in Cowpen offered hot cuppas and a place to stay if your house had been damaged, The Comrades Social Club opened to offer shelter, as did Briardale House, Signature Farm Meats and South Beach pub. Offers of help came from as far as Newbiggin, with Sandy Bay holiday Centre offering empty caravans at discounted prices.
Councillor Brian Erskine who represents the Cowpen ward was being highly praised by members of the public this morning for his hands on efforts to get help to people who needed it most. One poster on Facebook said..
The clean up operation was in full swing this morning with Northumberland County Council reporting emergency teams were responding to issues as they become aware throughout the area.
Northumberland County Council out-of-hours service: 0345 600 6400
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One Call (for concerns about vulnerable residents or safeguarding issues): 01670 536400
