UK Storms: Flooding and more rain may hamper recovery effortson February 22, 2022 at 10:36 am

Flooding and continuing rainfall are expected to hamper recovery efforts after three storms battered the UK.

Three people have died, flooding has forced evacuations and millions were left without power over the last week by Storms Dudley, Eunice and Franklin.

More than 120 flood warnings are in place, including two rare ‘severe warnings’ for the River Severn.

Homes and businesses have been evacuated in communities along that river due to high water levels.

The Environment Agency has warned that parts of the West Midlands and the north of England should be prepared for significant flooding until Wednesday.

In Shropshire, people have been rescued and properties evacuated due to flooding and at Ironbridge two severe flood warnings have been issued – meaning lives are in danger and the Severn barriers are expected to be breached.

A major incident has been declared in Bewdley, Worcestershire, and large parts of Shrewsbury town centre are under water.

Fourteen people and four dogs have been rescued from flooding in the Melverley area, close to the banks of the River Vyrnwy, Shropshire Council confirmed.

In the Shrewsbury area of the county, the River Severn appears to have peaked at 16.9ft (5.15m), 3.9 inches (10cm) short of the record levels set in 2000.

The Met Office said that although there will not be a huge amount of rain on Tuesday, rainfall in areas already affected by flooding could significantly slow down recovery work.

Flood warnings remain in place near rivers in Wales, with some roads in Powys still submerged so the extent of water damage in the local area remains unknown.

County councillor Karl Lewis said Llandinam in Powys had been left looking like a “disaster zone”.

Storm Franklin was the third named storm in a week – following Dudley and Eunice – the first time this has happened since the storm-naming system was introduced in 2015.

The storms left 1.4 million households without electricity, some for up to 72 hours, with wind speeds of over 100mph recorded during Eunice, in which three people died.

Just a few days later, the heavy rainfall brought by Franklin saw widespread flooding across the UK.

A clean up has begun in Matlock in Derbyshire, after the town’s high street was submerged – the third time it has been hit by devastating floods in three years.

It has since emerged a family with a baby in Nottinghamshire had to be rescued from their Land Rover on Saturday, after the four-wheel drive vehicle became stuck in flood water

An elderly couple in Leicestershire narrowly escaped injury when a large tree crashed through their thatched roof during Franklin on Monday.

Meanwhile, nearly 30,000 homes were still without power as of Monday afternoon, including over 3,300 in the South West and 800 in the East of England.

However, in Northern Ireland the majority of the 10,000 properties left without power by Storm Franklin have now been reconnected.

Transport networks have also been severely disrupted by the storms over the course of the last week, with trains, airports, ferries, roads and bridges closed due to wind and flooding.

National Rail said travellers should check before travelling on the railways on Tuesday ahead of a “small number of delays and alterations”.

Transport For Wales said there were no trains between Hereford and Shrewsbury on Tuesday because of flooding on the line.