200+Villagers rally to help with Storm Claudia clean up across the West Midlands
Communities across the West Midlands have spent the night battling severe flooding after Storm Claudia brought heavy rain, disrupted transport and forced the cancellation of events.
Roads were left submerged as drivers attempted to navigate deep surface water, while rail services were halted due to flooded tracks and fallen trees. Several Parkruns and local events were cancelled on Saturday morning as conditions worsened.
In Herefordshire, villagers, volunteers and fire crews worked through the night pumping out buildings and attempting to protect livestock. Flood warnings and alerts remained in place across the region, with barriers raised in Bewdley, Worcestershire, and in Frankwell, Shrewsbury.
Ewyas Harold in Herefordshire saw flood water flowing “like a river” through the village, damaging homes and businesses. The local fire station reported that water levels reached record highs, keeping crews busy throughout the night.
Sophie Wareing, who runs the village shop, said much of her stock had been ruined but praised the overwhelming community response.
“We did not even put a plea out, people just turned up,” she said. “It is essential we reopen as soon as possible because many elderly residents rely on the shop.”
Dramatic rescues as water rose rapidly
Claire, a lifelong resident of Ewyas Harold, said she was among volunteers trained by the fire service to support flooding responses. She had been pumping water from The Dog pub when conditions changed suddenly.
“It went from seeing if we could save it to needing to get people out,” she said. “The water was over waist deep and the current was colossal. We had to pin each other down to stop ourselves being swept away.”
Herefordshire firefighters also deployed to Monmouth to support South Wales crews after a major incident was declared due to widespread flooding.
In Michaelchurch Escley, Mark Benthan, landlord of The Bridge Inn, said the situation early on Friday had been “dire”, with water coming through the walls. After what he described as a “monumental rally round” overnight, he planned to reopen on Saturday afternoon.
There were concerns that areas of Worcestershire, which suffered severe flooding in November, would be hit again. But retired Environment Agency manager Dave Throup said Tenbury Wells had “dodged a bullet”, with heavy rainfall falling just far enough away to avoid major damage.
The Met Office recorded 80.6mm of rain at the Suckley gauge in Worcestershire in the 12 hours up to 06:00 GMT on Saturday.
Travel chaos across Birmingham, Warwickshire and beyond
Commuters in Birmingham faced continued disruption as buses and cars ploughed through deep water. One passenger reported water flowing into a bus travelling through the Bournville Lane tunnel. Vehicles crawled along flooded sections of Stratford Road in Sparkhill, while water in Green Road, Hall Green, reached more than four feet.
Warwickshire Police warned drivers to avoid floodwater after several roads were closed. Water at Kenilworth Ford reached the four foot marker, with residents saying they had not seen levels that high for more than ten years.
Other closures included Princes Drive in Leamington Spa, where two cars were stranded, and the A44 near Little Compton, where a fallen tree blocked the road.
Transport for Wales said several stations were closed and urged passengers not to travel between Shrewsbury and Newport. The railway between Newport and Hereford is expected to remain shut until Monday. Disruption also continued between Hereford and Shrewsbury, with Abergavenny and Pontypool and New Inn stations closed.
Check Now: Villagers rally to help Storm Claudia clean up
West Midlands Railway warned of further delays on Saturday, with buses replacing trains between Walsall and Rugeley Trent Valley due to damage to overhead wires.
Across the region, multiple Parkruns scheduled for 09:00 GMT were cancelled, including events in Lichfield’s Beacon Park and Cannock Chase, where fallen trees blocked parts of the course.
