Businesses and residents in Bridgnorth 'prepare for the worst' as river levels peak
As Shrewsbury and Ironbridge continue to deal with the severities of river levels peaking, residents and businesses in Bridgnorth further downstream braced themselves for "some of the worst flooding we've ever seen".
Expected to reach its height in the town at about 5.3 metres, the River Severn could be seen close to cars on Bridge Street as they continuously slowed to watch the rising floodwater.
In one of the worst affected areas, the landlord of Bassa Villa on Riverside said the venue's cellar was under a foot of water for the first time since he had been there.
Nick Bevon said the room had been dry at 9am yesterday, but within hours water was seeping through the walls.
"We have a well by the cellar door, which has come up as the river has," he said.
"It's got to the height now where it's coming through the walls and our cellar is under about a foot of water.
"Thankfully all the important stuff like the kegs are at the back – so far it's been business as normal.
"But we've been here for five years now and this is the worst I've seen.
"Everyone's saying 2000 was worst but I've been told even our cellar didn't flood then."
While truck-loads of sandbags were delivered throughout the day by Shropshire Council and the Environment Agency to reinforce defences along the river, residents had also been hard at work preparing for the worst.
Victor Flavell said he had been watching from his window as the Severn slowly crept higher.
Having lived in his home on Riverside for the last 25 years, he said he had lined his front door with sandbags so he could finally "sleep easy".
He said: "I ended up putting barriers up at about 11pm on Tuesday.
"I knew the river was rising and wanted to sleep easy. I wouldn't say I was worried – I haven't moved any of my furniture yet.
"Last week was the second highest I've ever seen it, but this has topped that.
"The more protection they do up north, it channels it down here so we have it worse."
