ABOUT 300 of a village's residents have abandoned their homes for the second time this week in a bid to avoid the predicted flooding.
However, a further 200, tired of the upheavals brought about by the weather, stubbornly stayed put yesterday.
The massive moving operation was carried out by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council throughout yesterday in a bid to safeguard residents of Skinningrove, east Cleveland.
It was the second time in less than a week that they had been asked to seek refuge with relatives or at Rosecroft School, in nearby Loftus, which was set up as a rest centre following Thursday's heavy downpours.
With weather forecasters predicting rain for last night and this morning, Councillor Dave McLuckie and his team were taking no chances.
The council's lead member for community safety said everything possible had been done to limit the damage.
"We have secured the river bank as best we can," he said.
"We have put more than 160 sandbags along its length, and we have brought in a tree surgeon to take away some of the trees so that they can't be uprooted and cause blockages.
"It has been a massive operation and, hopefully, we are as ready as we can be."
Those involved in the preparations were hoping to avoid at least some of the devastation caused last week when water levels rose four feet, affecting 165 homes, and creating the need for lifeboats to be deployed.
Coun McLuckie said he was confident that when the rain started to fall, those refusing to be evacuated would relent.
"We have explained to people that they will be risking the lives of any rescuers, as well as their own," he said.
"They are a bit steel-hearted at the moment, but, when the rains come again, they may well give way."
While Coun McLuckie said the preparations would offer only limited protection, he said at least the advance warning had allowed something to be done.
"It's nice to at least have warning this time," he said.
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