Fears high winds could cause fresh damage and disruption as Shropshire Storm Darragh clean-up continues two weeks on

A yellow weather warning for wind is in place for this Sunday, with gale-force winds of up to 70mph set to hit the majority of the country, including here in Shropshire.

The wind warning is in place from midnight to 9pm on Sunday, December 22 and follows just two weeks on from Storm Darragh.

Darragh hit the county hard, leading to 500 reports of fallen trees in Telford and Wrekin alone, and extensive damage across the borough's public highways, footpaths and parks, as well as private properties.

Some of the largest trees that have fallen weigh between four and five tonnes and span 40 to 50 metres in height, and council teams are still working daily to clear away damage and debris. 

A spokesperson for the council said the most dangerous situations are being prioritised by the four crews working across the borough, but are warning that the potential further damage this Sunday means work is likely to continue over the coming weeks.

Councillor Carolyn Healy for the Ironbridge Gorge said: “The scale of the damage and fallen trees we have seen in the last two weeks as a result of Storm Darragh is as bad as we have ever known.

“With more strong winds forecast, trees weakened in the previous storm could be affected leading to further damage and disruption.

“We understand residents may be frustrated with the wait to clear the damage caused but we truly appreciate continued patience given the scale of what we are dealing with.

“Thank you to our tree officers and contractors for continuing to work so hard in these exceptional circumstances.”

Michael Price, arboriculture manager at idverde said: “[Darragh] is one of the worst storms I have been involved in. The process of clearing these trees is ongoing and remains complex, with rigorous safety assessments required at each reported site.

“Our teams of skilled arborists are working tirelessly to get the borough free from storm damage as quickly and as safely as possible.

“I understand that frustrations may run high during this time but we must risk assess every situation we face day-to-day to get operations done safely so please bear with us.”

Telford and Wrekin residents can report any new non-emergency tree-related issues on the council’s website. If unable to report it online, call 01952 384384 for non-emergency tree issues, or the out-of-hours line on 03451 559955 for emergencies.