Expensive scheme failed as Cleveland fire brigade received 240 calls for help during Friday flooding which washed away two cars

Multimillion-pound flood protection schemes on Teesside were "overwhelmed" during torrential downpours on Friday evening, leaving 60 homes inundated.

Cleveland fire brigade received nearly 240 calls for help during the flooding, which washed away two cars. Their drivers escaped.

Cathy Kelly, owner of the Spa hotel in Saltburn, said she had never known weather like it. "A couple of cars look like they have come off the road and were completely covered by the water," she said. "There were lots of ambulances and helicopters going over. It was awful. I have never seen anything like it at all."

Dave Cox, of Redcar RNLI, cited reports that two vehicles had been swept into floodwater after a bridge had collapsed or been swamped: "There was no sign of the occupants of the vehicles at that time and there was concern that they may have been swept out to sea," he said.

"Our crew assembled, but as they were preparing to launch the lifeboat, police and fire brigade officers at the scene were able to confirm that everyone was accounted for.

"It would have been a very different rescue operation, so we are very pleased that everyone has been found safe and well."

Hartlepool, Billingham and the A19 were also badly affected by flooding.

Alistair Baker, a spokesman for Northumbrian Water, said the ferocity of some storms was "well in excess of the design capabilities" of their defence schemes, completed last year at a cost of about £2.5m. The water company began work on the scheme, which was meant to deal with extremely heavy rainfall, in May 2011.

The project involved building two underground storage tanks with capacities of 3m and 750,000 litres which could store overflow rainwater. These appeared to have failed.

Baker denied that the company had been complacent: "I can say that in that area, had it not been for work that was completed, even more homes would have been flooded.

"We are not complacent – we are doing all we can – but there is only so much you can do, and that work has to be prioritised so that money is spent appropriately and invested in the best way to benefit the most people in as many areas as possible."