Early action 'protected more than 4,000 homes and businesses' in region from flood devastation in January
Early action protected more than 4,000 homes and businesses in the West Midlands from the devastation of flooding this January, the Environment Agency has said.
Operatives worked around the clock to deploy demountable barriers along the River Severn and River Wye to protect communities after many persistent bands of rain earlier in the month resulted in elevated river levels.
Barriers were deployed to hold back flood water at sites including Shrewsbury, Ironbridge, Bewdley and Hereford whilst a large flood pumping station operated continuously for two weeks in Kempsey, as well as flood gates being closed at Upton-upon-Severn.
Other flood risk assets operated in Cheltenham, Worcester and Gloucester to prevent flooding.
The Environment Agency has also issued a total of 39 flood alerts and 61 flood warnings since the beginning of the year.
