Rain from Storm Babet leads to flash flooding across Shropshire

A man has died and many parts of Shropshire have seen flash flooding this morning following persistent rainfall with roads and train lines flooded.

Heavy rain overnight has led to the closure of the M54 between Junctions 6 and 7 in both directions for several hours before it was reopened and rail services suspended following flooding on lines in Wellington and Church Stretton.

Transport for Wales services are suspended across the Wales and Borders as are West Midlands Railway Services in the county.

Driving conditions are difficult across the county with the A4117 Cleobury to Ludlow and A458 at Much Wenlock closed due to flooding, and other routes affected by heavy surface water and broken down vehicles.

Dale End in Coalbrookdale was also flooded after the nearby brook burst its banks.

Flood barriers are going up in Shrewsbury.

The Met Office has reissued a yellow weather warning for heavy rain affecting Shropshire which is valid until 6am tomorrow, Saturday 21 October 2023.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Guy Williams said: “We are working closely with partner agencies to minimise any impact the heavy rainfall has on the public. Flood precautions are being put in place and our crews are ready to respond to life risk flood related incidents.

“We ask the public to follow our advice and not to drive through flood water. Unfortunately we have already seen incidents where a car is stuck in the water today and we are hoping to avoid other motorists becoming trapped. Although the water may look shallow enough to drive through it is extremely difficult to tell and so we ask drivers to avoid taking the risk.

“The roads in general will be more dangerous during the current weather conditions and we ask you to avoid driving unless absolutely necessary, reduce your speed and take extra care if you do have to drive.

“Our Fire Control Team have already received more than 200 calls during rush hour this morning (Friday) and are still extremely busy with incoming reports. Please only call 999 if there is an emergency such as a threat to life or water is affecting electrics. We are of course still responding to all other emergency calls such as fire and collisions etc. If you have concerns for road conditions or need to report flooding please contact your local council.

“We will continue to share safety advice and updates on our social media pages so please follow us to get the latest information.”

Head of Waste Network Operations at Severn Trent, Steve Betteridge, said: “With rising river levels and flood water on roads caused by Storm Babet, being responsible for the wastewater network we’d like to support our customers with advice should they be unsure who to contact if they are experiencing flooding in these extreme circumstances.

“We know how distressing any kind of flooding can be, if it's rainwater the flooding should subside when it stops raining, although it can take up to four hours for water to drain away. 

“In some cases extreme weather can overwhelm the waste network and cause flooding. If there is sewage escaping from a manhole cover in the garden or outside your home, this is an absolute priority for us to help you, so please call us on 0800 783 4444 and we’ll get a team out to help as quickly as possible.  

“If you’re concerned about flooding from drains and gullies in the road, you should call your local council as they are responsible for road drainage, but again, we generally find that the flooding will go away when it stops raining. If the flooding is coming from a river or stream, get in touch with the Environment Agency who will be best placed to help.”

Roads Closed

North Shropshire

Hodnet – Marchamley (at Paradise junction)

New House Farm, between Hodnet and Marchamley

B5476 Tilstock

Station Road, Gobowen

Central Shropshire

Underdale Road, Shrewsbury

B4386 Worthen

B4386 Lowfield Marton to Red Lion, Westbury

South Shropshire

A4117 closed from bottom of Clee Hill to the top

Ditton Mill – road closed due to land slip and tree in road

Astley Abbotts, Bridgnorth

Reported flooding

North Shropshire

A41 Grindley Brook

A49 Rockall crossroads, Wem

A49 Preston Brockhurst

B5395 Sedgeford, Whitchurch

B5099 Babbinswood

Twmpath Lane, Gobowen, near the hospital

A53 Hodnet, near Hopton Chapel

B5476 Sleap

Central Shropshire

The Mount, Shrewsbury

B4380 Eaton Constantine crossroads to Eaton Constantine village

New House Lane, Albrighton

Newport Road, Albrighton

Radbrook Road, Shrewsbury

Sundorne Road, Shrewsbury

Craig Close, Shrewsbury

The Wesley Brook, Shifnal

Pontesbury A448

South Shropshire

A49 Ludlow Bypass completely flooded

Much Wenlock

A4117 – Doddington Road

A4117 – Henley Road

Lion Lane, Cleobury Mortimer

A488 Pontesbury one way system

Bitterley School road

Car Parks

Frankwell Riverside and Frankwell Main car parks are closed. Drivers are asked to retrieve their vehicles immediately. There is no overnight parking in these car parks tonight.

Audiences attending Theatre Severn events tonight, or these attending other evening events, should use Raven Meadows Multi-Storey Car Park: the maximum evening charge is £4 if entering after 6pm.

St Julian’s Car Park will be closed on Saturday 21 October.

All resident and season ticket holders are requested to move to Raven Meadows Multi-Storey Car Park if at Frankwell, and to Abbey Foregate Car Park if at St Julian’s Car Park.

Anyone with a weekly ticket purchased prior to the closure of the car park at Frankwell may go to Raven Meadows Multi-Storey Car Park to park for free.

Visitors to Shrewsbury tomorrow are asked to use Park and Ride services to avoid congestion in town due to the car park closures.

Bus Services

Tanat Valley have suspended the 558 bus service due to flooding on the road from Shrewsbury to Montgomery.

Train Services

There are no trains operating in Shropshire this afternoon due to flooding on various lines.

See Transport for Wales or West Midlands Railway.

Flood Warnings

- Wesley Brook at Shifnal
- River Severn at Frankwell, Shrewsbury

Flood Alerts

- Ledwyche Brook and River Rea
- Lower Teme
- Rea Brook and Cound Brook
- River Severn in Shropshire
- River Worfe
- Severn Vyrnwy confluence
- Tern and Perry catchments
- Upper Teme

To stay up to date with all current flood alerts and warnings visit: https://check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk/alerts-and-warnings?q=shropshire