The front page of a recent edition of The Argus (Oct 11) contained a large photo of the centre of Rottingdean under water, along with the titles ‘Storm damage, lightning strikes, flash floods. 'Homes swamped and Roads blocked’.

Inside the paper there were more flood photos, together with an article headed 'Flooding hell strikes again'.

And who did the residents of the city have to rely on to help get their businesses and homes back into some semblance of order?

Well, in the reporters’ words, “Every fire engine in Brighton and Hove was out as they battled the rising tide”.

Now, that sounds very impressive, and well done to each and every fire fighter involved, but ‘every fire engine’ translates as “all five of them” and it does make you wonder what on earth would have happened if one of the lightning strikes and hit and set fire to a large building such as the Grand Hotel or a skyscraper block of flats.

This really would have taxed the resources of the city’s three fire stations, with decisions having to be made as to whose emergency was the greatest.

And, of course, the situation is due to worsen when ‘those who know best’ finally get their wish to remove another appliance, being of the belief that the city can get by quite satisfactorily with just four engines.

I have no doubt that when a tragedy does occur, and if it can it will, someone will issue a statement saying that “East Sussex Fire and Rescue takes the welfare of its residents very seriously and lessons will be learnt”.

Eric Waters, Ingleside Crescent, Lancing