Hackney Wick residents and businesses are counting the cost of Thursday night's torrential rain after canal flooding led to knee-deep water in houses.
The nearby River Lea canal burst its banks after heavy rain, with the London Fire Brigade sending 70 firefighters and 10 engines to the west side of the river.
Residents at around 100 affected properties on Dace Road, Wick Lane and Smeed Road were bailing out water by the bucket-load on Friday morning.
Simone, who didn't want to give her surname, told the Standard: "I was in the gym and I came back to my flat. [Water] was up to my knee high. It was crazy.
"I can't say for now about the extent of the damage. This is the first time it has happened. But I need to rush to work and do a shift before I can come home and clean."
The canal spilled over at around 10pm on Thursday and a "waterfall" was seen gushing over from the lock into a residential and business area.
Simon Goode, of the studio and book shop London Centre for Book Arts in Dace Road, had travelled back to the building when he heard the news.
"I got here about midnight and there was a waterfall coming over the canal, about three-feet high," he said.
"We are just assessing to see how much stock has been damaged."
Marcus Lyall, an artist with a first floor studio off Dace Road, said: "I am just gutted for anyone on the ground floor. I came here around 10.30pm and the lobby was flooded. I waded out of here barefoot.
"We’ve been talking on WhatsApp. People are gutted. I have sympathy for those flooded out."
Hackney Wick resident Ash Byron added: "I could hear loads of water coming from outside. The lock had spilled over and all this [business] area was flooded.
"I am three floors up, thankfully, and it is the first time it has happened."
London Fire Brigade left the scene at 1.50am having controlled the flooding.
Station Commander Dan Capon said: "Firefighters worked through the night to ensure the scene was safe and evacuated a number of people from surrounding buildings.
"We urged people to avoid the area where possible."
Hackney Wick is situated near Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the River Lea. Some residents fear the climate crisis could make flooding events more frequent.
Ian Lathan, who lives the east side of the canal, said: "There was flooding near Hackney Wick station last summer. With climate change, the Lea Valley area does not have a bright future as far as flooding goes.
"As a local resident I am curious as to whether this is going to be a big problem in the future."
