THE River Severn in Bewdley is now expected to reach its highest level on record in the wake of Storm Christoph.
Rising river levels along the Severn are causing concern as the full impact of the recent heavy rain fall comes to light.
The latest recorded river level at Bewdley was 4.88m at 4pm on Friday (January 22), and levels are now predicted to reach highs of 5.57m by Saturday evening, according to Environment Agency forecasts.
The highest level ever recorded in the town was 5.56m in November 2000. Levels neared this in February last year when temporary barriers were overtopped at Beales Corner, causing widespread flooding of local homes and businesses.
Bewdley Bridge closed to vehicles earlier today and a number of further road closures remain in place across the county.
County councillor Simon Geraghty said: “We recognise the impact that Storm Christoph and the subsequent flooding has had, and will continue to have, on residents, businesses and local communities across the county.
"The recent rainfall that we’ve seen, has led to some areas of the county being flooded in matter of weeks.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our front line staff and the emergency services teams who are working tirelessly to keep the residents of Worcestershire as safe as possible.
"This has been made even more difficult given the challenging and rapidly developing situation in additional to dealing with an emergency during a pandemic and in national lockdown.”
River levels across the Severn will peak over the coming days but are expected to recede pretty quickly, according to officials.
Worcestershire County Council’s highways control team has been co-ordinating with the flood risk management team and colleagues from the Environment Agency and the emergency services to ensure that the situation is being constantly monitored.
This work will continue throughout the weekend as the situation develops.
Wyre Forest District Council has sandbags available for residents to collect from Gardners Meadow car park in Bewdley, Vale Road car park in Stourport and the Depot in Green Street, Kidderminster.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here