21/08/2026
A record El Niño is developing which is predicted to increase the risk of flooding November and December this year, through to May 2027. Its looking likely too be an unprecedented event, its been a record breaking hot year, the drought will break at some point --- please dont arrive all in one go !
We are lucky to have a heads up, we can take measures to prepare in advance.
We can all do a bit, checking, cleaning your gullies and drains, if you see a drain blocked give it scratt or rake if safe to do so. When out you see a road drain thats blocked report it on the Worcestershire Highways portal ( Report drainage and flooding on a highway | Worcestershire County Council https://share.google/rxDGd5kOsmqHrodXu)
Some homes are not protected by barriers, they have property level flood defenses. Flood pumps checked, ( dam mouse has chewed one of my emergency pipes ) flood door seals, testing sump pumps, non return valves, pipes and fittings, if in doubt buy a second spare off marketplace while its a heatwave .
A few homes have new tenants and owners, have you had a dry run of installing your home protection, practice makes confident and identifies issues before its too late. Yes, you may look daft in a heatwave, but not as daft as not being able to find your bog b**g, while your toilet does an impressive impersonation of 'Ald faithful' with someone else's turds hitting your ceiling. 'I have new flood defenses, I dont need to worry !' with 200 homes flushing above you, its not just the river that needs taking into account. If you have any concerns there is help and advice from Flood Mary at The National Flood Forum and North Worcestershire Water Management, North Worcestershire Water Management( | Bromsgrove.gov.uk https://share.google/HQZLXtyW6jBknwwSa)
Those who are not normally at risk of flooding, look around you, where would water run if the heavens opened, because the ground will take all but nothing, its like concrete. Its prudent to consider runoff with the ground is so rock solid. Gentle rain is more than welcome, but a sudden deluge can affect anywhere, mums on the top of Clee Hill and last week the heavens opened, flooding the garage and an inch of her threshold, because a mouse had made its home in the drain.
The Queensway in Wribbenhall twice ran as a river in 2007, never happened in living memory before. 50-60 homes effected, some had 2.5ft of water throughout, just as some were nearing clearing up - another flood. It happened June and then July, a once in a 100 year flood, but twice in a month. Thanks to the tireless campaigning by Gill Holland, the Queensway estate and Riddings Brook benefitted from an upstream storage scheme between Greygreen Lane and Riddings Close, with upgraded drainage at the junction of Kidderminster Road - but its never been tested to date. Riddings Brook rises in a well and pool by the Halls Farm, Bridgenorth, Kidderminster crossroads at Trimpley, flows to Riddings Close, runs culverted down the Queensway, opening at Church Meadow. It then flows at the bottom of Lodge Close to Lodge Pool to the left of the track at the side of Catchems End. It passed under the bypass into Snake Lake, culverts into the Safari Park Boating Lake, the Hippo Pool and Carp Pools are fed by multiple further Springs, down into Rose Cottage Pool, deops into Chipperfields Pool, then under the bypass into Folly Bridge Pool, babbles down Sandbourne Lane, under Stourport Road and joins the Severn between the High School and Leisure Centre. Riddings Brook catchment is far larger than you would think, the water that always hangs Bewdley side of the Safari Park entrance? Goes down Riddings Brook, all the water from the SVR bridge on the bypass to Trimpley crossroads and down to Bewdley Bridge, thats water off Roads, roof and multiple springs, pools. All of Trimpley Lane drains to above Lodge pool, the left had side of the track at the side of Catchems End --- its currently 5ft deep with sand thats washed down from the road, with diminishing capacity. The issue has fallen on deaf ears for 15 years, perhaps they will when the culvert under the bypass claggs up, becomes a dam and Wribbenhall gets its own exclusive boating lake.
Bewdley is surrounded by hills, with springs rising at the tops of some, like Northwood Lane, Springrove, Trimpley, Bark Hill, S***f Mill. Flood barriers are only as good as there pumps, as barriers prevent runoff naturally reaching the river. This has happened in the past, with localised downpours, the rain in Spain may fall mainly on the plains, by in Bewdley--- most of its going to land on a hill.
A pre-cut piece of wood cut to fit in front of a door with a roll of gaffa tape, is very difficult to muster when you cant hear yourself think for the sound of the rain and waters coming over your wellies. A little bit of planning can save a lot of prolonged misery, disruption and expense.
Our community has been so very lucky to benefit from 3 major flood defence schemes, the false sense of security it gives, breeds complacency. 2 of the schemes are to date untested (-and long may it last) but we should be taking responsibility as individuals to do our bit.
Did you know that many homes at the bottom of the Queensway and by the river in Bewdley have non return valves on the sewers ? Otherwise everyone's sewage above ( a LOT OF HOMES ABOVE !!!) end up entering homes via toilets, sinks, showers, baths and drains. The downside is they cannot flush or use sinks, showers, baths without flooding themselves, a portaloo is a useful thing at such times. Its those times when that cheap builder you had to do some work becomes very expensive. Circumnavigating non return valves is a VERY bad idea, snakes on a plane is bad, but turds on the ceiling --- someone else's at that, well believe me its grim, but it did cure me of biting my nails 😆
https://youtu.be/-1To1jfz-ug?is=6HJ76QWyoORku6RJ
Report an issue with surface water or flooding.
