FLASH flooding hit a Worcestershire town as heavy rain swept across the county.

Firefighters had to rescue three people from their cars in and around Tenbury Wells, while a family of five caught up in floodwater in Rhyse Lane, Lower Rochford, near Newnham Bridge, managed to escape from the vehicle they were in before fire engines arrived just before 5pm yesterday.

In Tenbury both Market Street and Church Street were briefly submerged during a heavy downpour in the afternoon, and Teme Street was closed as your Worcester News went to press.

Businesses in the town were also being told to shut-up-shop over fears Kyre Brook was about to burst its banks.

Meanwhile, Lower Bullingham Lane in Hereford was closed due to flooding, and motorists were faced with lots of surface water on the A466 between Llancloudy and Wormelow Tump, A465 at Stoke Lacy, and a stretch of road about two miles from St Weonards to Hereford.

Meanwhile, good news arrived in the promise of new flood defences for two villages in Worcestershire.

Residents and businesses in Callow End and Powick were anxiously awaiting their fate as flash flooding and a rising river once again threatened to flood their premises.

In Callow End yesterday, sandbags were given to people in parts of Lower Ferry Lane, to block rising surface water and the rivers Teme and Severn were rising, although they were not expected to burst their banks.

The situation was helped by Worcestershire County Council’s highways department sending a jet wash to clear the village’s drains on Thursday after the severe weather warning was issued.

Coun Tom Wells welcomed the move, but said the village yesterday was still “prepared for the worst”.

However, it was not all bad news. It has been revealed that a flood barrier to protect people at Powick could be built by next summer if plans are approved.

The Environment Agency will submit plans for two clay bunds to the regional flood defence committee next month - one on an existing track in the north of the village and a smaller one in the east of the village.

The barriers would protect the 12 homes that were flooded in Malvern Road, Powick, last summer which forced the evacuation of 30 people when the river Teme broke its banks.

The agency, which is building flood defences in Hylton Road, Worcester, said it was too early to confirm the size of the bunds or the overall cost of the project .

However, members of Powick Parish Council said at a recent meeting that they expected the scheme would cost about £750,000.

An spokesman for the environment agency said the bunds could be finished by next summer if approval is granted.

Powick Parish Council agreed to support the scheme or other flood relief schemes which could protect the village with a contribution of £10,000, which it will raise over the next two years.

However, concerns were raised that the proposed scheme would only protect 12 houses at the bottom of the village and not others within the parish which were also hit by floods last summer.

Parish council chairman Andy Lamb said: “There are other householders who have been affected by floods who don’t live at the bottom of the village. The next time it could be a different issue - that’s the danger of issuing a precept - maybe there will be a need to support the development of a playing field or a hospital or anything. If the scheme does not get funding the money from the parish would not be paid to the Environment Agency.”

Mr Lamb also said the case for flood defences in Powick would be strengthened if the parish could offer the scheme financial support.

  • The Met Office forecast more rainfall over the weekend. The Environment Agency’s floodline is 0845 988 1188.

Your Worcester News will also keep you up-to-date over the weekend on this website.

Click here for the Environment Agency's latest flood warnings for the Midlands.
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