Video: At last - the flood barriers come down in Shrewsbury
All of the remaining flood barriers in Shrewsbury were coming down today as the town starts to get back to normal after two weeks of flooding.
The last barriers at Frankwell were being taken down today after water levels the River Severn continued to fall.
The Environment Agency has today released this video of workmen taking down the barriers in Shrewsbury.
Most of the barriers protecting the county town had already been removed. After a couple of drier days and a better weather forecast for the rest of the week, the Environment Agency has now also been able to lift all the flood warnings on the River Severn throughout the county.
A general flood alert is still in place for Crew Green, Montford, Welsh Bridge, Buildwas and Bridgnorth.
The River Severn peaked yesterday but was falling today, with the Welsh Bridge gauge showing 2.63m (8ft) above normal levels.
Car parks have been reopened in Shrewsbury and a deep clean and sweep of the Frankwell car parks was taking place.
Today across the Midlands, just 13 flood warnings and eight flood alerts remain in place.
In the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site, the barriers which had been protecting the Wharfage in Ironbridge were removed yesterday.
At its peak, the river in Ironbridge rose to 6.1m (20ft) above its normal levels.
Businesses in the town had continued trading while the barriers were in place but some had experienced a drop in trade as visitors have been unable to walk the length of the main street.
At the height of the flood, residents living on the Wharfage and nearby parts of the gorge were recommended to move upstairs or leave their homes.
Coalbrookdale and Ironbridge Primary School was closed for two days after the waters closed Dale Road, and the Ironbridge Gorge Museums Trust closed its sites at Dale End and Coalport.
The Wharfage was also effectively closed to pedestrians, with only those wearing lifejackets and safety gear allowed behind the barriers under the supervision of the Environment Agency.
Flood barriers have been up in Shrewsbury and Ironbridge since the first week in February after the stormiest start to the year on record with high winds and torrential downpours.
A combination of record rainfall, high tidals surges and low atmospheric pressures have combined to leave much of the country under water.
Although more showers are expected over the next few days, thankfully the Met Office is predicting a slighty more settled period of weather.
