Ironbridge flooding: Shops and businesses in Ironbridge begin return to normality
Shops and businesses in Ironbridge have been gradually getting back to normal, with river levels falling and most of the roads back open.
Only the Wharfage remained closed to traffic on Thursday, with pedestrians now able to access the road after the 'danger to life' warning was removed and the major incident stood down late on Wednesday.
The water had come within around 10cm of the top of the temporary barriers but the Wharfage stayed dry - unlike people further down the gorge in areas such as Jackfield.
It is the fourth time in three years the Severn has flooded, leaving riverside communities from Shrewsbury down to Bewdley counting the cost once again.
Many shops in Ironbridge, which was visited by the flooding minister on Thursday, shut early in the week in anticipation of the floods and the expectation that the water might seep over the flood barriers.
Darlingtons of Ironbridge were reopening on Thursday after being closed for three days, although many food and drink outlets had stayed open.
Michael Hill of Eley's of Ironbridge, which sells pies and pasties, said they had to be open because they do a lot of trade nationwide with deliveries and make the products on the site.
He said: "There have been quite a lot of visitors who wouldn't normally have come here to see what was going on so we have picked up some trade there but we needed to be open anyway to get the orders out.
"It is good to see the passing trade coming back towards normal levels and a few regular customers who had been staying away returning."
Councillor Carolyn Healy, who represents the Ironbridge ward, said the flood defence barriers had done their job but that it was touch and go at times whether the water was going to come over the top.
She said: "They held out thankfully although obviously there was some water on the footpaths, but the evacuation operation and the fact the water didn't peak quite as high as was predicted worked in people's favour.
"We only have the Wharfage closed to vehicles now so people are coming back gradually but the situation does need to be looked at and monitored as what only seemed to hap[en every 20 or 30 years is now becoming a regular occurrence.
"And I do feel for the communities such as Jackfield further down the river as there are no flood barriers there and they are on a lower level than Ironbridge, we need to make sure they are not neglected or forgotten."
