Rivers are monitored as water levels rise (From Stourbridge News)

Rivers are monitored as water levels rise

10:50am Tuesday 24th November 2009

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EXPERTS are keeping a close eye on river levels in Worcestershire.

The Environment Agency (EA) has put the Severn on flood watch. The watch is considered a “general early alert to possible flooding”.

As previously reported in your Worcester News, flood barriers have now been put up in Upton-upon-Severn with water levels expected to peak mid-week.

Elsewhere, the Wye in Herefordshire is on Flood Watch and a more serious flood warning has been issued for the river between Hereford and Ross-on-Wye.

Meanwhile, engineers have promised to keep an eye on Worcestershire’s bridges as floodwater continues to flow against them. With many homes and businesses in Cumbria cut off by collapsed or damaged bridges, Worcestershire County Council said it is not doing anything different here to what it normally does in times such as these.

However, it has reassured people that all its bridges are safe for pedestrians and motorists.

Councillor Derek Prodger, cabinet member for transport and safe environment, said all the county’s bridges were regularly checked.

“In the event of an emergency, such as the floods in 2007, our teams monitor all of our structures and will take the necessary steps, if needed, to close bridges if they believe they pose any safety risk at all,” he said.

Following a £750,000 scheme to waterproof and resurface the Powick Bridge last year, a county council spokesman said there are no structural repairs being carried out on any bridges in Worcestershire.

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