Roads closed, homes wrecked and businesses hit: Flash floods wreak havoc after torrential rain

More than a month’s worth of rain fell across the county in 24 hours on the bank holiday weekend and blocked key routes including the M54, A41 and A5.

People had to be helped to escape from their car as waters rose in Albrighton. Meanwhile more than two inches of rain fell in Pennerley to the south east of Shrewsbury, Shawbury saw almost an inch of rainfall and half an inch of rain fell in Newport.

Villagers there are facing a large clean-up operation after several buildings were swamped as drains failed to cope with the torrential rain.

Damage

A father has told of his desperate dash to save his cherished belongings as water covered his living room.

Russ and Joan Cockburn sprang into action after water got into their 'dream home' as torrential rain battered the county.

Father-of-three Mr Cockburn told how the water reached his knees within minutes of gushing into the lounge, which he said had been left ruined.

They are now in discussions with insurers about repairs at the house in Albrighton.

Roads were left resembling rivers after rain locals described as the worst in decades was dumped on the village on Sunday afternoon.

The 39-year-old PR manager said: "The rain was coming down and we didn't know how much there was going to be. I went to do a bit of work in my office which is next to the house and my wife texted me saying 'I think the water is going to come into the house'.

"Within five minutes it was in the lounge up to my knees. It had all come from the back garden, there's a stream that runs behind the gardens. Thankfully it stopped before it got into the dining room otherwise that would have been a disaster - we have not long had the kitchen done.

"It was save what you can. It happened that quickly, within three minutes it was up to my shins and within five it was up to my waist.

"Most important was getting the sentimental things out like photos of the kids. The lounge is ruined."

Wife Joan was understandably upset to see her home filling with water.

Mr Cockburn said: "She was emotional. It's our dream home. We bought it with the purpose of being our final home. We have spent a lot of money on it so it wasn't nice to see water gushing in.

"But we got our game heads on very quickly and thought about what we needed to do.

"We checked on our neighbours to make sure they were ok. That's the main thing, you can always replace TVs and sofas. We're in the process of sorting the insurance.

"The firefighters were excellent. They went above over and above what they needed to to get us safe.

"Talking to people in the village it is the worst they have seen it and people have been living here for 30 years. It was an hour and a half of torrential rain."

Hospital

In Welshpool, the town’s Victoria Memorial Hospital was badly hit by the floods, with the minor injuries unit having to move to the midwife-led unit and expectant mothers in labour told to go elsewhere.

Volunteers helped hospital workers work to clear the damage on Monday, as they did in March to limit the snow disruption.

A spokesman for Powys Health Board said: “We would like to thank our staff, members of the community and local partners who continue to go the extra mile to ensure the safety and continuity of our services.

“Our main ward was unaffected and patients continue to be cared for as normal.

“The hospital kitchens are back in action. We put temporary measures in place on Sunday, and patients continued to be provided with nutritious meals delivered from Newtown Hospital.

“Our minor injuries unit was affected by the weather. As our midwife-led birth centre was not in use we took the decision to use this area temporarily for our minor injuries service.

"This enabled us quickly to re-establish our minor injuries service at the hospital in temporary alternative accommodation, and this remains in place.”

The area used by the ShropDoc GP Out Of Hours Service was also affected and temporarily moved to near the hospital entrance.

“Our midwife-led birth centre at Welshpool Hospital accommodates approximately one birth each week as well as outpatient and antenatal services. Local women are being contacted to discuss the alternatives which include home birth, and our recently refurbished midwife-led birth centre in Newtown.

“Our clean-up operation is continuing.

“The periods of heavy snow in March showed the astonishing community spirit in Powys. This weekend’s flash flooding has once again brought out the best in #TeamPowys.”

Shropshire Fire Control received more than 50 flooding reports over three hours on Sunday.

A fire service spokesman said: “It was an extraordinary – between 5pm and 8pm we had a high number of fire calls.

“Whilst it affected properties across the county it was concentrated across the Albrighton area.

“There were a number of road closures and properties that flooded and we had about six vehicles stuck in flood water despite the warnings that we put out.

“The only one that we assisted was one car in Albrighton and we helped two adults and two children, the rest self-rescued from the vehicles.”

Firefighters were called to help at Tesco in Corve Street, Ludlow, as water flooded the store, as well as to a home in Dodmore Lane in the town.

And RAF Cosford Museum was closed on Monday because of flooding on surrounding roads, including the M54 eastbound between Junction 1 at Featherstone and the M6, the A5 at Gailey and the A41 near Codsall.

Flood alerts were in place for the River Worfe, affecting Shifnal, Cosford, Burcote and Burlington.