Residents in town with high flooding risk brace themselves for more river trouble
Worried residents living in one of country's most at-risk areas for flooding are expecting the river near their homes to burst its banks again, but remain optimistic that preparation work will limit the damage.
As the levels have risen due to heavy rainfall, the town of Bewdley has been preparing for what is becoming an annual intrusion into people's lives as the banks could burst and the roads might get flooded.
Along the banks on both sides, there were flood defences being set up by staff from the Environment Agency, with pumps and signs for road closures being put in place at Beales Corner, which experienced severe flooding in early 2022.
Bewdley has been identified as one of the most at-risk areas nationally for flooding by the Environment Agency, with representatives also walking up and down Beales Corner, knocking on doors to talk to residents.
One of those spoken to was 72-year-old Irene Buxton, who lives very close to the river.
She said that despite the threat of flooding, she wasn't worried due to the preparations she had made after the experiences of 2022 and was even feeling optimistic about the future.
"We've been through worse things and while you can't get used to it, you just have to get prepared for if it happens as you're not really able to go anywhere," she said.
"We seem to get it quite regularly now, having not had much in the 22 years I've been living here, but much more in the last five years and last year, when the flood barriers collapsed, we did get a bit of flooding.
"However, we're a lot more organised this year, with plenty of pumps, a door which helps keep out most of the water and we can move our furniture upstairs and live there for four months if needed."
Another resident, who asked not to be named, said there was a sense of community when flooding occurred, with everyone looking after each other.
She said: "We're always very well looked after, with people like the Environment Agency doing their best to help, plus things like last year, when people set up a stand at the top of the road and gave away hot food and drinks.
"The river has always been there in all the time I've lived here and I've just got used to what happens when it overflows, so I don't worry about it."
Further down the road on Beales Corner was the home of Daniel Madden, whose house was being looked after by his father Peter.
Mr Madden said his son had lived there for three years, so had been very much affected by the flooding in the past, but had also been able to safeguard his home against future floods.
He said: "There have been some very good defences put in place, such as the door, which cost £15,000 and is watertight, plus a drainage system under the door which pours out of the front.
"He's become resigned to the fact that it will flood around here again, as there is a history of flooding in Bewdley, not just recently, but going back to Victorian times.
"There is a great sense of community when flooding happens as people help each other and we're all looking forward to seeing the new defences put up, which will help stop this happening and increase the value of his home."
Across the river, sweet shop Teddy Grays manager Karen Hawkins said she had a few nerves about the river levels for both the shop and her own home on Beales Corner.
She said: "It's worrying as you see the river rising and it affects things like how I'm getting to work, but I don't think it'll affect me too much when the barriers go up.
"The shop is usually really well protected and I live in an apartment, so my home doesn't get affected, but I do know people who get hit by it, but then everyone comes together to help them."
