River Severn flooding aftermath: 'What a difference a week makes'

Almost a week after record-breaking floods hit Worcestershire and Shropshire, residents say water has receded and normal life has returned.

Danger-to-life warnings were issued for Bewdley and Ironbridge, as the River Severn poured into numerous homes.

Melverley, in Shropshire, saw levels reach about 6m, but it was now "drying out nicely", the parish council said.

The village often floods, but the parish council praised the support from the authorities and agencies.

"We get water here at some level every winter with rainfall in Wales making routes unpassable - that kind of thing," Sally Herbert-Jones, chair of Melverley Parish Council, said.

"And when it's really significant we are restricted, but on the whole fewer than six properties had water in them."

She said there were 55 properties in the parish and some people had now invested in personal flood defences to protect their homes which worked this time.

"It's almost a year to the day since we last had significant floods and we've had it for the last three years, but all credit the agencies involved - the flooding was the same, but the support was better," she said.

Shropshire Council "really stepped up" she added, with "the most support we've had" as well as help from the fire service, Environment Agency and the police.

"The networking, knowing they were there and making calls to us to see what we needed and if residents were okay, and anyone vulnerable, the network of communication was good."

Ms Herbert-Jones said there was now a flood forum in the area, which worked with the Environment Agency and the National Flood Forum.

Andrew Blair, landlord of the Royal Hill, between Melverley and Pentre, said flood water came in very quickly, with water above the hedges outside reaching a peak of 6.2m at the local gauge.

"It was like the seaside round here and looking out on to an ocean," he said.

But he reopened last Wednesday, after closing several days earlier, and said things were back to normal.

"The main thing is stopping the water coming down to us so quickly, but it's a bigger problem. I do think they're looking at it now because it's getting worse. It was a record level here," he added.

Nick Barclay, chairman of the parish council in neighbouring Kinnerley, said people there and in nearby Pentre were "fed up" of the floods. About 100 properties were affected this year in Kinnerley.

"Kinnerley borders Wales so it's separate local governments and you don't get uniform attention, he said.

"You don't want engineering solutions in the River Severn that may save more homes upstream but affects land and homes further down.

"There's been some better help than in previous years, but it is the bigger picture - we can't stop climate change, but we need to do what we can here."

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