Storm Jorge: New floods 'won't be as extreme'

Further floods are expected in parts of the West Midlands after Storm Jorge, the Environment Agency (EA) has said.

However, these floods will be "less extreme" than those seen along the River Severn earlier in the week.

Hundreds of homes were evacuated and there were two severe flood warnings in Shropshire, meaning a danger to life.

Dave Throup, from the EA, said the river was due to peak overnight and into Monday but would be up to a metre below the levels seen previously.

Flood defences in Ironbridge that were damaged by the deluge are "good to go," he added.

The temporary barriers were pushed back by up to two metres due to the force of the water on Wednesday, meaning water was able to seep beneath them.

The EA said at nearby Buildwas 300 tonnes of water was flowing through the Severn every second on Sunday morning and water levels were starting to rise.

An average of 202.1mm rainfall fell last month, data from the Met Office shows, making it the wettest February since records began.

The Severn is expected to peak in Shrewsbury overnight with the peak moving downstream through Monday and Tuesday.

The EA, expects the river to peak at up to 5.7m in Ironbridge on Monday afternoon - one metre less than the levels it reached on Wednesday.

"It's still very high but not the absolutely extreme levels we saw this week," Mr Throup said.

The river will get "high enough to be on our defences," he added, and there are still flood warnings in place.

In Bewdley, Worcestershire, where flood defences were overtopped on Tuesday, the river is expected to reach its highest peak on Tuesday morning at around 4.5m.

Vicki Gaffney's home in Tenbury Wells, which is along the River Teme, is one of more than 100 that was flooded in the town earlier this week.

"We've just been given the very depressing news that we've got a timeline of about six to nine months to be back in the house," she said. "I'm finding that really hard."

The town has no flood defences and Ms Gaffney said that has to change. Her thoughts were echoed by Olivia and Stephen Higgins who run a shop on the high street.

"You feel totally alone," Ms Higgins said. "We're no less important than the bigger towns that flood, but that's how we're made to feel - bottom of the list."

In Worcester, the EA said "everything is expected to stay stable" - levels aren't looking likely to increase but nor is the river expected to go down "until probably mid week".

"It is very high water levels," Mr Throup said, but the city is coping and "fully open for business".

Along the River Wye in Herefordshire, levels have peaked about a metre and a half below what was recorded earlier in the week.

"I don't think that's going to cause too many problems," Mr Throup said.

"We're hoping for the best during this week but we'll be monitoring the situation closely."

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