Warwickshire floods: 'Waiting game' as floods continue

[dutchman]

The owner of a riverside caravan park in Warwickshire has said they are having to play "a bit of a waiting game" as flooding continues.



Nick Allen, from the Riverside Caravan Park in Stratford-upon-Avon, said: "The river came up last night about a foot and a half."

There are 12 flood warnings still in place in Warwickshire, according to the Environment Agency (EA).

The Environment Agency website has full details of the areas affected.

The River Avon has warnings at Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick, Barton, Bidford-on-Avon, Marlcliff, Barford, Hampton Lucy, Alveston and Tiddington.

There are also warnings on parts of the River Dene, River Stour, River Blythe, River Anker and the River Leam.

Mr Allen said everyone was evacuated from the caravan site on Thursday and they were now waiting for river levels to go back down.

Racecourse flooded

A message on the Stratford-upon-Avon Rowing Club website said it has been closed for Friday and Saturday.

Jason Adams, from the Arden Hotel in the town, said they had been pumping out "a couple of inches" of water.

"Our garden team got about 100 sandbags yesterday afternoon and put them across the front of the doors, so we're fully watertight," he added.

The racecourse in Stratford-upon-Avon has also been flooded.

Assistant managing director Ilona Barnet said: "Whilst the water is in all the buildings we are hoping that we will be able to get the pressure washers out and wash it down, dry it out and carry on."

Will Pritchard, manager of the Red Lion Pub, Hunningham said water levels went down overnight and flooding has still not reached the pub.

He said the pub was open for trading but flood water had affected the car park.

Levels 'reasonably high'

Wally Redford, who chairs the parish council in Eathorpe, near Leamington Spa, said the water level was falling, and he believed it was not as bad as the 1998 and 2007 floods.

Leamington Hastings Church of England Infant School and Studley High School have been closed by flooding, according to Warwickshire County Council.

The Environment Agency said Thursday's rain had left rivers "reasonably high".

Dan Trewin from the EA said the rain had topped up river levels already high from Wednesday's rain.

"We have some respite today so levels will drop off," he said.

The Met Office forecast has predicted that many areas are likely to experience a period of very wet and very windy weather over the weekend.

It warned that the public should be aware that some flooding is likely, and winds could potentially cause damage to buildings and uproot some trees.

[dutchman]

The Sherbourne - which feeds the Avon - wasn't especially high when I checked it last night.

[dutchman]

'Lucky escape' for three swept away in car



Three elderly people had "a lucky escape" after being rescued from their car when it was swept down a swollen river in Warwickshire.

West Midlands Ambulance Service said it happened just off the A435 in Coughton Field Lane, near Alcester at 11:30 GMT.

Their car was carried for more than 450m from a ford before a farmer managed to secure the vehicle.

The ambulance service said a farmer had secured the car before emergency crews arrived to help rescue the three people trapped in it

The two women and a man were treated for shock and hypothermia, the ambulance service said.

[dutchman]

Warning of more disruption


Nic Allen, the owner of Riverside caravan park in Stratford-upon-Avon, said there was 3ft of water on the site on Saturday morning

People living in Warwickshire who have been affected by flooding in recent days have been warned there could be further problems this weekend.

The Environment Agency (EA) said five flood warnings were still in place across Warwickshire.

The rivers Leam and Avon are most at risk.

John Buckingham, from the EA, said: "River levels have gone down but the prediction is they may rise again to the same as Wednesday and Thursday."

The Met Office said a yellow weather warning would be in force, with up to 30mm (1in) of rain expected in some areas in the West Midlands.

Nic Allen, from Stratford-upon-Avon Riverside Caravan Park, which was badly hit on Thursday, said the water was subsiding.

He said: "I've been wading though three feet of water, but if the levels keep going down we'll be open within 48 hours.

"I'm worried the water will come up but there's not much we can do if it does; everything's on high ground.

"We've lost one caravan out of 600 and one of the clubhouses has been damaged, but that's an absolute result compared to the 2007 floods when we lost 450."

The county's fire service said it had received more than 40 calls from people stuck in floodwater on Friday, with three people rescued near Alcester after their car was swept down a swollen ford.

A spokesperson from Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service urged motorists not to drive through floodwater.

A message on the Stratford-upon-Avon Rowing Club website said it was closed on Friday and Saturday and the town's racecourse was also flooded.

[dutchman]

Several people have been rescued by Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service, which took 45 calls related to flooding overnight following heavy rain.



The service said seven people were pulled from cars stuck in flood water and five elderly people were rescued from a flooded caravan park.

A number of flood warnings have been issued for the county by the Environment Agency (EA).

Warwickshire Police has tweeted about a number of road closures.

The EA said the Rivers Anker, Arrow and Leam were all at risk.

Richard Austin, from the agency, said there was up to 30mm (1.2in) of rain overnight.

He said: "That rain has fallen on ground that is already saturated and river levels are rising all across Warwickshire."

The fire service has warned people not to drive through flood water after a number of people were rescued from Preston Bagot, Coventry Road at Church Lawford and Oak Tree Lane at Sambourne.

'We are worried'

West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) has urged people not to drive through flood water.

WMAS general manager Nathan Hudson said: "We were called out to several incidents where cars have tried to pass through flooded roads, fords, and small rivers and got stuck.

"It is quite simple, driving through flood water is inherently dangerous.

"The emergency services have had to risk difficult and often dangerous conditions in the middle of the night.

"A little bit of common sense from the public will ensure that no one's life is put in any unnecessary danger."

Nic Allen, from Stratford-upon-Avon Riverside Caravan Park, said the water had not risen since Saturday.

He said: "We are worried about later though and expect the water to rise after all the heavy rain we had last night."


Brownshill Green in Coventry

[StevieG]

People driving through flooded roads etc
Have they NOT got any sense at all

[dutchman]

People driving through flooded roads etc
Have they NOT got any sense at all

I read it was mostly 4x4 owners who mistakenly assumed they were immune to flood water.

[dutchman]

Flood warnings remain in place


The River Avon remains high in Stratford-upon-Avon

Several flood warnings remain in Warwickshire following heavy rain over the past five days.

Many B-roads across the county remain blocked because of flooding and on Monday three people had to be rescued after their car became stranded in Bedworth.

The Environment Agency flood warnings mostly affect the rivers Avon and Leam.

Weather forecasters have predicted conditions will improve as rain eases off later.

The A422 in Tysoe has been closed at the Sun Rising Hill junction because of a landslip.

Fire crews were called to Coalpits Lane, Bedworth, on Monday evening to rescue three people whose car was stuck in nearly 5ft of water. No-one was injured.

On Sunday, five homes were flooded in Weddington, Nuneaton, and five elderly people had to be rescued from a flooded caravan park.

Farmers have warned the heavy rain could have a major impact on next year's crops, with many unable to sow at the moment because of a lot of standing water.

The Sherbourne, although higher and faster flowing than usual, was not yet anywhere near flood level when I last checked it.

[dutchman]

Flood warning for River Leam at Eathorpe, Leamington



THERE is one flood warning in Warwickshire as river levels begin to fall.

The Environment Agency has put out a flood alert for the River Leam at Eathorpe, near Leamington.

And Valley Road, in Earlswood, Solihull, at the junction of Shutt Lane, has closed due to flooding.

The A422 in Tysoe at Sun Rising Hill, which closed due to a landslip, has now re-opened.