EVACUATE!
Warnings of ‘threat to life’ amid fear that swollen Severn will swamp flood barriers
AN EMERGENCY evacuation was under way last night amid fears the River Severn could overwhelm flood defence barriers.
The Environment Agency issued two ‘threat to life’ flood warnings on the river in Shropshire and at least 40 properties were evacuated in Ironbridge.
In nearby Shrewsbury, residents of a care home have been ferried to safety by firemen, while three shopping centres and a number of schools and railway lines were shut.
Homes were evacuated in Snaith in East Yorkshire after River Aire burst its banks.
Last night there were 103 flood warnings in place across England following more than double the average February rainfall. The severe flood warnings in Shropshire covered more than 100 miles of the River Severn.
Forecasters warned of further heavy rainfall overnight and today, with some areas predicted to get a month’s worth of rain in 24 hours. It comes as Sir James Bevan, head of the Environment Agency, warned not all homes in England could be protected from flooding due to climate change and that in a few places the scale of coastal erosion or risk of river or sea flooding will become so great that communities may have to relocate.
In a speech yesterday he also warned against building on flood plains, but said where there was no alternative they should be resilient to flooding by having garages on the ground floor and living spaces higher up.
In Ironbridge yesterday, those who had stayed behind were frantically bailing out water but said they feared the worst.
Among those refusing to leave was 93-yearold war veteran Albert Darlington. He had been advised to leave his ground floor flat in the Wharfage area as water levels rose, but as alarms sounded outside he said: ‘I’m not going anywhere.’
On the other side of the river, NHS worker Stew Mason and his partner Phil Stirling, were pumping water from their cellar.
Mr Mason said he feared that plans for 1,000 new homes near a flood plain half a mile up river could make the situation worse. Developers submitted an application for the former Ironbridge power station site in January.
Mr Mason said: ‘It’s at the front door. We are dry inside at this very minute but we don’t expect to be tomorrow.
‘We have lived here 19 years but this is the first time we have flooded like this. We have water in the cellar once a year but this is obviously very different. The flood defences on the other side don’t help. If they stop water on one side, where is it going to go?
Last night the EA warned if the River Sevplaying
ern does go over the top of Ironbridge’s flood defences, it could happen quickly and the water would be fast-flowing.
It repeated its plea for people to stay clear of the Wharfage. A spokesman said: ‘ We don’t want to be evacuating people in the middle of the night.’
Police also warned there was a ‘strong chance’ the temporary flood barriers would be breached overnight. The flood defences on the Wharfage should be able to hold back river levels of between 6.8m and 6.9m (22.3ft to 22.6ft), but last night it had risen to about 6.7m and could exceed 7m (22.9ft). West
Mercia Police Chief Superintendent Tom harding said: ‘The levels of the river in Ironbridge are set to rise to unprecedented levels, with a strong chance they could overtop the temporary flood barriers.
‘Our absolute priority is the safety of local residents and we would strongly advise those who live in the affected area to evacuate. We know people don’t want to leave their homes but we are only giving this advice as we believe it is absolutely necessary.
‘We are working very closely with our emergency response partners to ensure plans are in place should the water overtop the barrier. however, at the moment we don’t know what impact that will have.
‘But my warning is we may be in a position where we can’t rescue residents who don’t leave their home.’
At Welsh Bridge in Shrewsbury, a number of homes and businesses are already underwater. But victims have criticised the £500 they can claim in compensation when they are flooded. The grants were announced by the Government earlier this month as part of a raft of measures designed to help people affected by Storms Dennis and Ciara.
David Bickle, 57, whose ground-floor flat in Shrewsbury was under 2ft of water last night, said the money wouldn’t even buy a new sofa. ‘My washing machine is only a week old, and there are the carpets too,’ he said.
Peter Nutting, the leader of Shropshire Council, agreed the money being offered to flooded residents is not enough.
he said: ‘If you have a flooded property, £500 is not going to go far. I think it should be at least double that, because of the cost of carpets and fridges and freezers and all the rest of it that need replacing.’