Shrewsbury floods

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The town of Shrewsbury in Shropshire, England has historically been affected by flooding of the River Severn. [1] [2] The Frankwell area, has been particularly affected, but flood defence measures have largely been effective in the area. [3]

Contents

Geography

Shrewsbury is about 14 miles (23 km) west of Telford, 43 miles (69 km) west of Birmingham and the West Midlands Conurbation, and about 153 miles (246 km) north-west of the capital, London. More locally, the town is to the east of Welshpool, with Bridgnorth and Kidderminster to the south-east. The town centre is partially built on a hill whose elevation is, at its highest, 246 feet (75 m) above sea level. The longest river in the UK, the River Severn, flows through the town, forming a meander around its centre. [4] The town is subject to flooding from the river.

Shrewsbury School, with its boathouse on the River Severn in the foreground. Shrewsbury School and boathouse.JPG
Shrewsbury School, with its boathouse on the River Severn in the foreground.

ShropshireCountyMap2009.jpg

Defences

Most of the ceremonial county of Shropshire is covered for purposes of local government by Shropshire Council, a unitary authority established in 2009. Telford and Wrekin is a unitary authority, with borough status, which forms part of the county for various functions such as Lord Lieutenant but is a separate local authority from Shropshire Council. However many services are shared across both authorities, such as the fire and rescue service, and the two authorities co-operate on some projects such as mapping flood risk.

Notable occurrences

From the late 1990s, the town experienced severe flooding problems from the Severn and Rea Brook. [22] [23] In the autumn of 2000 large swathes of the town were underwater, notably Frankwell, which flooded three times in six weeks. [24] The Frankwell flood defences were completed in 2003, along with the new offices of Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council. More recently, such as in 2005 and 2007 but not 2020, flooding has been less severe, and the defences have generally held back floodwaters from the town centre areas. However, the town car parks are often left to be flooded in the winter, which reduces trade in the town, most evidenced in the run up to Christmas in 2007. [25]

November 2019

On 14 November nine schools in Shropshire were closed because of floods. [26] [27] The Environment Agency issued three flood warnings for the county, two on the River Severn and one on the River Teme. [28] Sections of the A49 and A488 were closed as were a number of minor roads, particularly in the south of the county. [29] On 15 November four schools remained closed. [30] [31]

On 15 November 2019 rail services between Shrewsbury and Welshpool did not run due to flooding. [32]

Storm Dennis (February 2020)

Properties were flooded in the centre of Shrewsbury as the Severn burst its banks. The Environment Agency described the flooding across parts of the West Midlands as "unprecedented", and warned that excess runoff from the upper reaches of the Severn in Wales meant that the flooding in the lower Severn valley would likely be prolonged for at least three days. [33]

Storm Henk (2024)

Storm Henk caused major flooding in Shrewsbury. [34]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Severn</span> River in the United Kingdom

The River Severn, at 220 miles (354 km) long, is the longest river in Great Britain. It is also the river with the most voluminous flow of water by far in all of England and Wales, with an average flow rate of 107 m3/s (3,800 cu ft/s) at Apperley, Gloucestershire. It rises in the Cambrian Mountains in mid Wales, at an altitude of 2,001 feet (610 m), on the Plynlimon massif, which lies close to the Ceredigion/Powys border near Llanidloes. The river then flows through Shropshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire. The county towns of Shrewsbury, Worcester and Gloucester lie on its course.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shropshire</span> County in England

Shropshire is a ceremonial county in the West Midlands of England, on the border with Wales. It is bordered by Cheshire to the north, the Welsh county of Wrexham to the north and northwest, Staffordshire to the east, Worcestershire to the southeast, Herefordshire to the south, and the Welsh county of Powys to the west. The largest settlement is Telford, while Shrewsbury is the county town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ironbridge</span> Town in Shropshire, England

Ironbridge is a riverside town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin in Shropshire, England. Located on the bank of the River Severn, at the heart of the Ironbridge Gorge, it lies in the civil parish of The Gorge. Ironbridge developed beside, and takes its name from, The Iron Bridge, a 100-foot (30 m) cast iron bridge that was built in 1779.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shrewsbury and Atcham</span> Former non-metropolitan district in England

Shrewsbury and Atcham was a local government district with borough status in Shropshire, England, between 1974 and 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bridgnorth</span> Town in Shropshire, England

Bridgnorth is a town and civil parish in Shropshire, England. The River Severn splits it into High Town and Low Town, the upper town on the right bank and the lower on the left bank of the River Severn. The population at the 2011 Census was 12,079.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Wrekin</span> Hill in Shropshire, England

The Wrekin is a hill in east Shropshire, England. It is located some five miles (8 km) west of Telford, on the border between the unitary authorities of Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin. Rising above the Shropshire Plain to a height of 407 metres (1,335 ft) above sea level, it is a prominent and well-known landmark, signalling the entrance to Shropshire for travellers westbound on the M54 motorway. The Wrekin is contained within the northern salient of the Shropshire Hills AONB. The hill is popular with walkers and tourists and offers good views of Shropshire. It can be seen well into Staffordshire and the Black Country, and even as far as the Beetham Tower in Manchester, Winter Hill in Lancashire and Cleeve Hill in Gloucestershire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shrewsbury Castle</span> Historic site

Shrewsbury Castle is a red sandstone castle in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. It stands on a hill in the neck of the meander of the River Severn on which the town originally developed. The castle, directly above Shrewsbury railway station, is a Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rea Brook</span> River in Shropshire, England

The name Rea Brook can refer to either of two brooks in Shropshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frankwell</span> Human settlement in England

Frankwell is a district of the town of Shrewsbury, in Shropshire, England. It lies adjacent to the River Severn, to the northwest of the town centre, and is one of Shrewsbury's oldest suburbs. The main road running through the area is also called Frankwell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shrewsbury and Atcham (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1983-2024

Shrewsbury and Atcham was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St George's Bridge</span>

St George's Bridge was a bridge over the River Severn in Shrewsbury, England; so named as it was close to the medieval St George's Hospital. It connected Frankwell, an old suburb of the town, to the town centre via Mardol. The gate on the town side was called Mardol Gate and is located where the Mardol Quay Gardens are. The gate on the other side was called Welsh Gate or St George's Gate. The bridge, sometimes now known as the Old Welsh Bridge, was demolished in 1795 and was replaced with the Welsh Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Welsh Bridge</span> Bridge across the River Severn in Shrewsbury, England

The Welsh Bridge is a masonry arch viaduct in the town of Shrewsbury, England, which crosses the River Severn. It connects Frankwell with the town centre. It is a Grade II* listed building.

The town of Shrewsbury in Shropshire, England, has a history that extends back at least as far as the year 901, but it could have been first settled earlier. During the early Middle Ages, the town was a centre of the wool trade, and this was a peak in its importance. During the Industrial Revolution, comparatively little development took place in the town, although it did serve as a significant railway town after the development of rail transport in the area. The town today retains much of its historic architecture.

The Bagley Brook is a small watercourse that flows into the River Severn at Shrewsbury in Shropshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shrewsbury</span> County town of Shropshire, England

Shrewsbury is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Shropshire, England. It is sited on the River Severn, 33 miles (53 km) northwest of Wolverhampton, 15 miles (24 km) west of Telford, 31 miles (50 km) southeast of Wrexham and 53 miles (85 km) north of Hereford. At the 2021 census, the parish had a population of 76,782.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autumn 2000 Western Europe floods</span>

The Autumn of 2000 was the wettest recorded in the United Kingdom since records began in 1766. Several regions of Atlantic Europe from France to Norway received double their average rainfall and there were severe floods and landslides in the southern Alps. In October and November 2000 a successive series of extratropical cyclones caused severe flooding across the UK.

Shit Brook is a culverted small stream in Much Wenlock, Shropshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013–14 United Kingdom winter floods</span> Series of 2013–2014 winter storms in the UK

The 2013–2014 United Kingdom winter floods saw areas of the United Kingdom inundated following severe storms. The south of England saw heavy rainfalls associated with these storms which caused widespread flooding, power cuts and major disruptions to transport. Economically, the worst affected areas were Somerset, Devon, Dorset and Cornwall in the south west and the Thames Valley in the south east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019–20 United Kingdom floods</span> Severe flooding events in the United Kingdom over the winter of 2019–2020

Between November 2019 and February 2020, severe winter flooding occurred across the United Kingdom. The first wave of flooding occurred in November 2019, mainly affecting Yorkshire and the Humber, the East Midlands and the West Midlands. Further isolated flooding incidents were reported in December and January, before the second main wave of flooding, caused by Storms Ciara and Dennis, occurred in February 2020. The excessive rainfall resulted in the wettest February since records began, in 1766, in England and Wales with an average of 169.6 millimetres (6.68 in) falling across the regions, beating the record from 1833.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llandrinio Bridge</span> Grade I listed bridge in Llandrinio, Powys, Wales

Llandrinio Bridge, Llandrinio, Powys, Wales, is a road bridge over the River Severn. Constructed between 1769 and 1775, the bridge is attributed to John Gwynn of Shrewsbury, a noted local architect who designed a number of crossings over the Severn, as well as Magdalen Bridge in Oxford. The bridge is also the site of defensive structures dating to World War II, including a pillbox disguised as an agricultural cowshed and Dragon's teeth tank traps at its northern end. The bridge is a Grade I listed structure and a Scheduled monument.

References

  1. ↑ "Shrewsbury residents frustrated as floods grow more frequent". The Guardian . 22 February 2022. Archived from the original on 23 February 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  2. ↑ Southall, Henry (January 1895). "Floods in the West Midlands". Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society. 21 (93): 28–39. Bibcode:1895QJRMS..21...28S. doi:10.1002/qj.4970219307.
  3. 1 2 "Frankwell Flood Alleviation Scheme - Shrewsbury" (PDF). assets.publishing.service.gov.uk. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 September 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  4. ↑ "Imperial Gazetteer entry for Shrewsbury". Vision of Britain . Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  5. ↑ "A Miniature Severn with Six Bridges". Birmingham Post . 18 September 1954. p. 12. Archived from the original on 23 February 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Shrewsbury Flood Defences" (PDF). environmentdata.org. Environment Agency. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 February 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  7. ↑ "Maintenance Work Starts On Shrewsbury Flood Defence". States News Service. 24 April 2018. Gale   A595586067 – via Gale Academic OneFile.
  8. ↑ "Slow the flow! | Shropshire Council". Shropshire.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 23 February 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  9. ↑ "Flood Control: Shrewsbury". TheyWorkForYou. Archived from the original on 23 February 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  10. ↑ "Shrewsbury flood proves just the job for Logicrane". Contract Journal. 445 (6695): 36. 10 August 2008. ISSN   0010-7859. EBSCOhost   35239443.
  11. ↑ "The Late Floods In Wales". The Times . 9 January 1846. p. 5. Gale   CS85097001.
  12. ↑ "Floods in the Provinces". Coventry Standard. 22 December 1848. p. 3.
  13. ↑ "Inundations". The Times . 22 November 1852. p. 8. Gale   CS136218486.
  14. ↑ "Shrewsbury, Saturday Night". The Morning Chronicle . 15 November 1852. p. 7. Archived from the original on 23 February 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ "Heavy Floods -Shrewsbury Sunday, 7 30 p.m.". The Times . 11 February 1867. p. 6. Gale   CS102147147.
  16. ↑ "Shrewsbury Floods - Severn Highest for 40 Years". Gloucester Citizen . 24 February 1941. p. 2. Archived from the original on 23 February 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ "Floods In 30 Counties". 19 March 1947. p. 4. Gale   CS68109427.
  18. ↑ "Flood Threat To Severn Towns". The Times . 13 January 1948. p. 4. Gale   CS68896301.
  19. ↑ "Floods: Cinema Awash". Lincolnshire Echo . 15 January 1948. p. 4. Archived from the original on 23 February 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  20. ↑ "Wild Week-End Weather". 13 February 1950. p. 6. Gale   CS103369293.
  21. ↑ "River Severn Flooding: Homes and businesses evacuated". BBC News. 23 February 2022. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  22. ↑ "Flooded baby otter recovering well after Rea Brook rescue". BBC News. 5 January 2016. Archived from the original on 22 January 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  23. ↑ "The Mill Race, Sutton, Shrewsbury" (PDF). Archaeological Data Services. May 2008. p. 2. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 February 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  24. ↑ "Shrewsbury flood alleviation scheme". Environment Agency. Archived from the original on 10 January 2007. Retrieved 24 February 2008.
  25. ↑ "Flood watch continues on Severn". BBC Shropshire News. 10 December 2007. Archived from the original on 13 December 2007. Retrieved 24 February 2008.
  26. ↑ "Hereford & Worcester News". BBC News. 14 November 2019. Archived from the original on 15 November 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  27. ↑ "School closures | Shropshire Council". Shropshire.gov.uk . 14 November 2019. Archived from the original on 15 November 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  28. ↑ "Flood warnings for Shropshire, England - GOV.UK". flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk. 14 November 2019. Archived from the original on 5 March 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  29. ↑ O'Brien, Lisa (14 November 2019). "Flood warnings in place, schools closed and cars stranded as Shropshire braces for more rain - in pictures". www.shropshirestar.com. Archived from the original on 14 November 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  30. ↑ "Primary schools | Shropshire Council". Shropshire.gov.uk . 15 November 2019. Archived from the original on 15 November 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  31. ↑ "Secondary schools | Shropshire Council". Shropshire.gov.uk . 15 November 2019. Archived from the original on 15 November 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  32. ↑ "Schools and roads shut as floodwaters rise". BBC News. 15 November 2019. Archived from the original on 17 November 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  33. ↑ "Woman missing in floodwater as Storm Dennis strikes". BBC News. 16 February 2020. Archived from the original on 15 April 2020. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  34. ↑ "Storm Henk: Flooding forces Shrewsbury residents out of homes". 4 January 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
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