Tragedy and chaos as Storm Babet dumps month's worth of rain on Shropshire over 24 hours
It rained and it rained. As much fell in 24 hours as would normally come down in a month.
While the River Severn was placed under a ‘be prepared’ alert, it was localised flash flooding that caused the most problems – including the tragic death of a man in his 60s.
Sadly the man was caught in fast-flowing flood water from a brook in Cleobury Mortimer around 10.40am yesterday and was found dead around two hours later.
Main roads, railways and town centres simply could not cope with the intensity of the rainfall.
John Greaves, chair of Cleobury Mortimer Parish Council said: “We are in a rural community surrounded by small tributaries and with the level of rainfall that we have seen and sudden, sharp downpours, these idyllic looking brooks can turn into a danger quickly and a small stream can become an absolute death trap.
“It was a shock and very tragic news. We (the town council) all express our condolences to the family. It’s a reminder that we all need to be very careful when walking out and about around the community.”
Shropshire Council leader Lezley Picton said: “I was deeply saddened to hear of the tragic death of a man in south Shropshire today. My thoughts and condolences are with his family and friends.”
Philip Dunne MP for the Ludlow constituency said: “My condolences to his family and friends. My thoughts are with all those impacted by this tragedy and the wider flooding caused by the storm.”
Communities were today continuing the clean-up, while rivers levels on the Severn were being monitored as rain dumped on the Welsh hills moved its way downstream.
Every area of Shropshire appeared to suffer a drama of some sort. Near Ludlow, the A49 was closed in both directions because of flooding.
In Ironbridge, Dale End in Coalbrookdale was several feet under water after a nearby brook burst its banks. The situation affected a number of properties.
Katie Cook, manager at the Brooke Evans Ironbridge salon, said they had been warned the brook was about to burst, with some staff and clients able to move their cars out of harm’s way.
She said: “When we all got here here this morning there were obviously little puddles but it was absolutely fine.
“About five to nine someone came in and said ‘the brook is going to burst and it is going to flood’.”
She said she had donned her waders to deliver items left by a client in the salon to her car, before then going above-and-beyond by giving another client a piggy back through the water to her car.
She said the water contained sewage and was ‘disgusting’.
