Barriers up in Bewdley as rain sees flood warnings
Flood barriers were raised in Bewdley today as heavy downpours swept the country causing problems on roads and threatening widespread flooding.
The heavy rain caused misery for drivers in Black Country and Staffordshire, while flood alerts were put out by the Environment Agency as river levels rose.
Engineers were starting to erect the flood barriers on Severnside North in Bewdley as water levels in the River Severn began to rise.
They said the river measured around 9ft high overnight in Bewdley and this was expected to rise in the next few hours.
Predictions say the river could peak at around 13.5ft by Saturday afternoon which would be close to a breach of the banks.
Flood alerts were also in place between Horseley Heath in Tipton and Castle Vale in Birmingham as the River Tame continued to rise.
Bewdley Flood Committee member Gill Holland said the move to erect the barriers was a precautionary measure by the agency.
"They have started already because when it comes to the crunch, they have so many locations down the River Severn they have to cover that it is better that they are prepared," she said.
"With the amount of rain that is forecast, the ground is already very saturated."
