Shropshire swamped again as River Severn floods hit county hard
Shropshire has been hit hard by flooding once again, with roads submerged and homes under water after the River Severn burst its banks.
Shrewsbury, Ironbridge and Bridgnorth have all been affected, along with large areas around the Severn and Vyrnwy confluence from Welshpool to Melverley.
The Severn had been rising steeply since Storm Christoph brought heavy rain at the start of the week and started spilling over its banks from Wednesday, with Mid Wales the first area to be badly flooded on Thursday.
Riverside areas along the Severn in Shropshire then began to bear the brunt on Thursday evening and Friday morning - with water levels almost reaching the heights of last year's devastating flooding and covering nearby fields and parkland.
See the flooding in Ironbridge here:
Coleham, Coton Hill, Frankwell, Smithfield Road and St Julian's Friars are among the affected areas in Shrewsbury, while caravans have been left underwater in the Bridgnorth area and water is covering the road next to the flood barriers in Ironbridge.
The River Severn peaked in Shrewsbury at Welsh Bridge at 4.95m (16.2 ft) on Friday morning and was expected to peak at around 6.5m in the early hours of Saturday.
Environment Agency staff have been busy helping at all affected areas, while Shropshire Council said it had staff monitoring the situation and helping the vulnerable.
Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service said crews from Shrewsbury rescued two occupants at a property in Berwick Road, near the West Mid Showground, at around 6.30am on Friday.
Crews from Cleobury Mortimer were also called to help at a property in Tenbury Wells shortly after 6am and last night crews from Baschurch were called to rescue a man from a vehicle stuck in water in Pentre at about 9.30pm.
A total of 15 flood warnings were in place across Shropshire on Friday morning, meaning flooding was expected and immediate action required.
WATCH drone footage of Shrewsbury floods:
Courtesy of James Williams
Shrewsbury Town Council warned that either side of Porthill Bridge was flooded and urged people to stay safe around the water's edge, with the river flowing fast and seeping up past the Hercules statue in the Quarry.
In Ironbridge the river was at 6.3m (20ft 7in) at 10am on Friday and still rising, having already increased by four metres in three days.
The Wharfage, Buildwas Road, Dale End, Lloyds Head (Coalford) and The Lloyds roads have all been closed and Telford & Wrekin council encouraged anyone with a car parked at the Wharfage car park to move it to The Valley Hotel car park as soon as possible.
Large areas around Melverley, which regularly suffers from flooding from the Severn and Vyrnwy rivers, have also been under water, as has Pentre near Nesscliffe, and flooding is continuing to affect people in Mid Wales.
Many roads around Welshpool were under water on Thursday, with large parts of the A483 shut, and residents over in Bangor-on-Dee had to be evacuated.
There are two severe flood warnings still in place by Natural Resources Wales – one at Bangor and another at Lower Dee Valley from Llangollen to Trevalyn Meadows.
River levels at Bangor are falling slowly but residents who have evacuated should not return to their properties until advised by the authorities.
Yesterday , Mid and West Wales Fire service had 98 weather calls in 24 hours including eight in Welshpool.
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Shropshire Council staff have been checking on vulnerable Shrewsbury residents who could be impacted by the flooding and moved a handful of people to safety.
A spokesman from the council said: "Our staff have been out patrolling overnight Thursday into Friday and will be out again tonight ensuring everyone’s safety.
"We have been out checking on vulnerable residents who could be impacted and have also moved a handful to shelter away from the water – they have all been given lateral flow coronavirus tests to guarantee their safety and that of others.
The spokesman added: "We also want to thank the resilient Shropshire communities for coming together and helping each other out. People across the county have supported themselves and each other in difficult circumstances and we want to thank them.
"Environment Agency incident response staff are checking defences and liaising with emergency services. Please avoid using low lying footpaths near local watercourses."
