Storm Franklin: Severe 'danger to life' flood warning in place at Bewdley as river swells
Residents in Bewdley have been urged to evacuate their homes due to extremely high water levels on the River Severn which have been classed as a threat to life.
Flood defences were installed by the Environment Agency over the weekend at Beales Corner to help protect nearby properties from the threat caused by Storm Franklin.
But experts have now issued a severe flood warning – with residents strongly urged to evacuate the area – as concerns mount that water will breach the top of the barriers.
Environment Agency area duty manager for Worcestershire Gary Bywater said on Monday afternoon: "We are facing a significant flood risk at Beales Corner in Bewdley and urging people to remain vigilant and take extreme care. Heavy rain, affecting already wet areas, is likely to cause significant river flooding along the River Severn for several days.
"We have teams out on the ground taking preventative action and we are working with other agencies to support people who need to evacuate their homes.
"We advise people to stay away from swollen rivers and not to drive through flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car."
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In its warning the agency said the barriers have water against them, but "strongly recommended" that residents living behind the defences evacuated.
"The risk remains as the barrier system is a temporary structure, which cannot be guaranteed to perform," the Envirnonment Agency said. "The temporary barriers at Beales Corner are forecast to exceed their capacity and over-top during Tuesday."
The agency only issues severe flood warnings when there is imminent risk of flooding and threat to life and people have been urged to sign up to flood warning messages to help them prepare.
The river level at Bewdley gauge is forecast to reach up to 5.0-5.4m by Wednesday and are forecast to remain high "for a prolonged period of time due to further rainfall this week".
Wyre Forest District Council also urged residents to evacuate, passing on a message from the Environment Agency warning that the Beales Corner barriers had around one metre of water against them by early afternoon.
Stuart Birch, who works as a chef at Wolverhampton Wanderers and has been living in Bewdley for the last three-and-a-half years with his family, said: "It's flooded the last two years in a row, so this will be the third year it's happened.
"We were dreading the rainy months and we were saying we've had a mild water, so it didn't seem too bad and then you see the river levels rising and it's really worrying – especially when you've got a young baby in the house.
"We've got the sandbags (at the house) and we'll probably come back here (afterwards) and hope for no damage. Thankfully, there wasn't much damage the past two times but this is meant to be a metre higher and if that's the case we'll see us get a bit of damage I think."We've got a two-year-old and that's our main worry.
"The first time it flooded, she was a couple of months old and we made a decision a few days beforehand to go. The second year she had just gone one and it was an absolute nightmare during that, but someone put us up in a holiday home.
"The community always comes together when this happens. People are helping each other and it's really nice to see, but when you have to leave it's really uncomfortable and inconvenient – but we have to."
Meanwhile George Young, who has lived on Beales Corner in Bewdley for 12 years, is staying put in his home despite the advice being to evacuate the area.
He said: "It's a chance you take. I've just decided to stay and we've got two dogs and I would be moving them (if I had to evacuate)."
Mr Young said experts had advised the water levels would be higher than the previous year - if water levels do go above the flood defences - but said there hadn't been much damage over the years, except for when a floor in the rooms had to be replaced.
The management of The Cock and Magpie, which is by the river, has faith in the defences.
A barman from the pub told the Express & Star this afternoon: "We are by the river but we have the flood defences so we are staying open."
Bar supervisor Jessica Hewitt of Old Mug House said: "We've noticed the bridge closing regularly, but we are still open, and will remain so until we are forced to close."
Denise Heaton, from the Old Waggon and Horses, Kidderminster Road, said: "We are open, and at times like this we are happy are not near the river, so will be expecting customers from those places closed today."
Worcestershire Highways Department also revealed the scale of the flooding in the county near Stourport.
