25 Years Since East Sussex’s Deadly Floods of 2000
This week marks a grim 25th anniversary of the East Sussex floods that tore through Lewes, Uckfield, Barcombe, and surrounding towns. Relentless rain forced the River Ouse and River Uck to burst their banks, flooding homes and leaving communities reeling.
RNLI Heroes Brave Freezing Waters to Save Lives
As waters rose, RNLI crews from Newhaven, Shoreham, Brighton, Eastbourne, and Hastings launched a daring rescue tug-of-war against the deadly floods. Joined by the Fire Service, police, and emergency teams, volunteers battled freezing conditions and swirling debris to save stranded residents, pets, and livestock.
Roger Cohen MBE, now Newhaven RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager and then a Brighton volunteer, recalled:
“Inflatable lifeboats were rushed in from nearby stations and RNLI HQ in Poole. It was cold and tough work. We had to dodge smashed drain covers and debris while navigating muddy waters.”
Shoreham RNLI revealed:
“Our crews spent 16 hours in icy, treacherous conditions. One lifeboat was even sucked under Lewes’ Cliffe Bridge by debris and currents, but the crew climbed to safety.”
Dramatic Flood Rescue of Pregnant Woman in Barcombe
One of the flood’s most heart-stopping moments came when Shoreham RNLI rescued a pregnant woman trapped in Barcombe’s flooded fields. They used a tractor to reach her home and carried her to safety by lifeboat. The woman later gave birth to a baby boy she named Noah.
“Our crew navigated flooded fields, using a tractor to reach her home. She was taken into the lifeboat and handed over to an ambulance. She later gave birth to a baby boy she named Noah.”
Floods Spark Formation of Specialist Rescue Teams
The 2000 floods changed the RNLI forever. They inspired the creation of specialist flood rescue teams, now trained nationwide to tackle similar emergencies. Two and a half decades later, RNLI salutes its brave volunteers and the tough East Sussex communities that faced one of the worst natural disasters in the region’s history.
