In Herefordshire, flood water flowed “like a river” through Ewyas Harold damaging homes and businesses.
The village fire station said flooding had been at a record high and crews had been busy all night with incidents in the centre.
On Saturday, it said things had quietened down but the village shop said it had suffered “significant damage”.
A statement on social media from the village store and post office said the flood waters breached its flood defences and while the clean-up effort had started it would not be business as usual.
It thanked the fire crews and said it hoped to reopen “as soon as possible”.
Mark Benthan, landlord of The Bridge Inn, in Michaelchurch Ecclesley, Herefordshire, said: “Twelve hours ago the situation was dire, we had water coming through the walls, it’s the sort you only see once in living memory”.
However, he added that after a “monumental rally round” and working through the night, he planned to reopen on Saturday afternoon.