Twenty years ago swathes of Kent were submerged in floodwater after the heaviest rainfall for decades.

Residential streets, fields and major roads were turned into lakes in October 2000 and then again just five months later in February 2001.

No lives were lost as a result of some of the worst floods in living memory but about 500 homes were damaged and - when the levels relented - the county was left resembling a giant mudbath.

The first autumn of the 21st century was the wettest on record in the UK, and the deluge which led to hefty flooding began on October 10, 2000.

While some residents of affected areas could recall water reaching similar depths in the past, none had seen water flowing with such speed and force through the county's streets.

The then-deputy Prime Minister John Prescott described the severe weather as a wake-up call to the impacts of climate change.

Emergency services raced to help homeowners as water levels rose across the county, with Maidstone and some of its surrounding villages in picturesque riverside settings the worst hit.

Dozens of people had to be rescued and homes evacuated, as sandbags failed to stop the waters breaking through.

With torrential rainfall, even man-made defences such as the Leigh Barrier, at Tonbridge, could not fully contain the awesome power of nature.

It filled in five hours - the previous high came over a period of two days - and prevented the flooding of 2,000 properties.

The principal source of the floods was the sheer volume of rain that fell over relatively short periods onto already wet or saturated land - leading to rapid run-off into already swollen streams and rivers.

While the Maidstone area was the worst hit, canoeists took to the floodwater in Canterbury when the River Stour burst its banks, taking a paddle in Sainsbury’s car park.

Gorrell Tank in Whitstable was restored to its original reservoir state when the floods hit, with cars trapped as water left drivers stranded.

Some areas of the Hoo Peninsula were flooded. The Isle of Sheppey had heavy rain which resulted in water a foot deep lapping at doorsteps.

Like numerous businesses left with a massive clean-up and counting costs, The Strand pub in Gillingham battled in vain to prevent its cellar being overcome, despite the use of a pump.

For the time being, Maidstone town centre had a lucky escape. The subways around the riverside and Maidstone Bridge were impassable.

In East Farleigh, residents living along the river found boats washed up in their gardens, while in Headcorn, 4ft of water flooded the primary school as raw sewage flowed into the streets.

After the deluge of rain on October 10, some 50 to 70mms of rain fell the following night and, by October 12, Lamberhurst, Robertsbridge and the Sussex border were the first areas of official flooding.

Later that morning, widespread disruption occurred and by 4pm that day the first evacuations were taking place at Yalding, Laddingford and East Peckham.

Emergency services were on high alert on the Friday as flood warnings were still in place. Evacuation centres were set up in the Judd School, Tonbridge, and Cornwallis School in Linton, near Maidstone.

By the Sunday, the rain was relenting and the levels began to drop, although officials made warnings about potential disease left by floodwater.

One of the memorable sights of the floods in Maidstone town centre was a daring rescue of a boat.

Crowds gathered on Maidstone Bridge as rescue services tried to stop the Kentish Lady from smashing into the old crossing.

Falklands hero Steve Labouchairdiere was winched from an RAF search and rescue helicopter down to the boat as it threatened to break free from its moorings.

Had it come loose, it was feared that it would smash into the bridge, causing structural damage and blocking the swollen river’s progress through the arches - leading to even more severe flooding of the town centre. But he managed to secure the vessel with extra ropes provided by the fire service.

Pilot Flight Lieutenant Andy Bastable said: “It was certainly one of the most interesting rescues we’ve had to do for a long time.

"Normally we end up out at sea or on the coastline -– we don’t usually go into a town centre.”

As the waters rose across the county, dozens of firefighters were out saving people from their homes.

Many of the rescues took place in Yalding, although the then-landlord and lady of The George pub in the centre of the village insisted on staying put, despite everything in the bar being under water.

At the height of the operation, Kent Fire Brigade (now Kent Fire and Rescue) had some 150 personnel deployed to incidents.

During a house-to-house questionnaire survey following the watery week, a number of people complained that the main cause of flooding within their properties were waves caused by vehicles travelling too fast along water-clogged roads.

In an anniversary supplement of the Kent Messenger published in 2010, former editor Ron Green recalled the remarkable events.

"There was nowhere for the deluge to go," he said. "Readers, correspondents, reporters and photographers began to call in reports of rapidly rising floods.

"The only way to capture the awfulness of the drama was from the air but our usual sources were grounded by the weather. Picture editor Barry Hollis tracked down a helicopter we could use. The fee was five times what we usually paid.

"Barry came back with remarkable pictures and memories he will never forget. 'I had never seen anything like it before or since in Kent,' he told me. 'There were hundreds of buildings sticking out of a sea of brown water. They were people’s homes – it was a very sorry sight'."

Canterbury and Ashford both experienced high flows on the Stour in early November, with the two councils having their emergency evacuation plans in place ready with sites for rest centres earmarked. The levels however never reached a point where evacuating residents to safety was necessary.

It was in February the following year when about 50 homes in the villages surrounding Canterbury were hit by floods.

Twenty years ago this week, the evening of the February 8 saw intense rainfall concentrated mainly in the east of the county, with rain gauges recording up to 60mm in a 24-hour period.

The Nailbourne, which has recently been flowing, along with the Little Stour spread into the ground floor of homes in Bridge, Patrixboume, Littleboume and Wickhambreaux.

Such was the magnitude of rainfall, roads running adjacent to the river or crossing it were closed during most of the winter period.

Over the other side of the Canterbury district on the coast, homes in Chestfield were flooded nine times in the space of just 14 months.

The flooding during February was the worst recorded in the village since the 1950s, as Swalecliffe burst its banks - forcing the closure of the Thanet Way on two different occasions.

In Herne Bay, soldiers were drafted in to help evacuate homes in Cherry Garden. A team of 40 men from the Royal Irish Regiment, based in Canterbury, got residents out from being waist-deep in water.

The troops used inflatable dinghies to get access to the flooded areas while the city council set up three emergency rest centres and issued 2,000 sandbags to residents.

Following the events of February 2001, The Little Stour & Nailbourne River Management Group, a liaison committee between 11 parish councils in east Kent, was formed.

Earlier this year, river campaigners told KentOnline how they fear a repeat of the devastating floods should waterway clearance not be stepped up along the Stour between Fordwich and Richborough.

Read more: All the latest news from Kent