Boots on the soggy ground! Hundreds of troops help flood-hit Yorkshire towns and villages bolster their defences as Storm Dennis threatens more misery

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As Storm Dennis descends, fearful residents and business owners in a village decimated by last week's flooding have 'battened down the hatches'.

Hundreds of soldiers are currently stationed in Mytholmroyd in Calderdale, which endured 100mm of rainfall in an 18 hour period amid Storm Ciara.

Thick sludge from a week ago is still visible on the roads and pavements and the flood defences which were crippled by floodwater can still be seen.

As Storm Dennis descends, fearful residents and business owners in a village decimated by last week's flooding have 'battened down the hatches'. Pictured are soldiers helping shore up flood defences in Mytholmroyd

Hundreds of soldiers are currently stationed in Mytholmroyd in Calderdale, which endured 100mm of rainfall in an 18 hour period amid Storm Ciara

Many homes and shops damaged during Storm Ciara are still only in the early stages of recovery.

A number of owners have expressed concern that the 'worst is still to come', as an amber warning for rain is issued and a flood alert remains in place.

Many traders and residents have moved their belongings from the ground, stacked sand bags at their front doors and abandoned the village.

Dozens of soldiers from The Highlanders, 4th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, based at Catterick Garrison, could be seen on the streets today.

Thick sludge from a week ago is still visible on the roads and pavements and the flood defences which were crippled by floodwater can still be seen. Pictured is the River Calder in Mytholmroyd

Many homes and shops damaged during Storm Ciara are still only in the early stages of recovery

A number of owners have expressed concern that the 'worst is still to come', as an amber warning for rain is issued and a flood alert remains in place

They were setting up portable flood defences and unloading sand bags from lorries before distributing them among locals.

Sue Slater, who owns a hairdressers in Mytholmroyd, said she is 'scared' about what's to come over the next 48 hours, adding, 'all we can do is wait'.

She said: 'It was only a week ago that we got flooded and just when we start to recover and do business again another storm is on its way.

'We are expecting Storm Dennis to be as bad as Ciara if not worse.

'So much work to get back to normal has been done this week and to think it could all be for nothing is really worrying.

'All we can do is prepare for the worst and hope that everything is okay.'

Soldiers from the Highlanders fourth Battalion were setting up portable flood defences and unloading sand bags from lorries before distributing them among local

Sue Slater, who owns a hairdressers in Mytholmroyd, said she is 'scared' about what's to come over the next 48 hours, adding, 'all we can do is wait'

Soldiers from The Highlanders, 4th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland , help to shore up flood defences as Storm Dennis begins to make landfall in the UK

Mrs Slater's business was badly damaged in the 2015 floods and, in response, she modified her building to be 'flood proof'.

The flooring is tile and the walls are covered in waterproof paint, which means the entire place can be washed with a power hose following flood damage.

Furniture inside the hairdressers is made from metal, so it can be wiped down, and the plug sockets are four foot from the ground.

Mrs Slater said: 'The insurance won't cover us for flooding so I had to do everything possible to insure myself.

'I even put a sum of money aside every month to prepare for an event like this.'

She added: 'Luckily this week I feel like the warnings have come in earlier so people can better prepare themselves.

Flood defences are prepared in Mytholmroyd, in the Upper Calder Valley in West Yorkshire

Roger Benn, who runs a travel agents in the village, said 'anxiety levels are through the roof' in Mytholmroyd

'I don't think people were ready last week, we didn't know how bad things were going to be.

'I know that I have definitely done all I can do.'

Roger Benn, who runs a travel agents in the village, said 'anxiety levels are through the roof' in Mytholmroyde.

He added: 'What happened last week caused so much stress for everyone and here we are again.

'It leaves you feeling very on edge because you're just waiting for something bad to happen.'

Almost the entire ground floor of Mr Benn's business was destroyed last week and his shop remains in a state of disarray today.

A Mytholmroyde homeowner, who didn't want to be named, left the village with his young family this afternoon before the storm hits

The man in his 30s said: 'Our house was really badly flooded last week and we're terrified it is going to happen again'

Soldiers from The Highlanders, 4th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland

'I'm very worried that things will be even worse by the end of the weekend,' he said.

The trader was critical of the authorities for their inability to minimise the damage caused by Storm Ciara.

He said: 'If that work was finished six months earlier, like it should have been, then maybe we wouldn't be here now.'

A Mytholmroyde homeowner, who didn't want to be named, left the village with his young family this afternoon before the storm hits.

The man in his 30s said: 'Our house was really badly flooded last week and we're terrified it is going to happen again.

'There is no point in us being here because even if it does flood there's nothing we can do, it will just be traumatic.

'We have battened down the hatches by moving all our stuff upstairs and putting sandbags down, we will have to see if that does the job.

'If not then the house will get even worse and we'll have to move out.'