Following heavy rainfall and rising levels of River Severn, the Environment Agency has set up an incident room in Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire, amid fears of flooding.

Tewkesbury, which was devastated by flooding in July 2007, is again under the threat of flood as heavy rain continues to wreak havoc across England. The Gloucestershire town suffered a similar degree of severe weather problems several years back, in which more than 1,800 households were devastated.

The Environment Agency has set up three incident rooms in the Midlands, including at Tewkesbury, along with another incident room in the Wessex area, said a spokeswoman. “It’s not unusual to experience heavy downpours and some flooding - mainly of farmland - at this time of year, but we’re continuing to closely monitor the forecast and rainfall particularly in areas along the rivers Severn, Teme and Avon, including Worcestershire, Shropshire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire”, said added.

“Environment Agency teams are out on the ground continuing a close watch on river levels as well as checking defences and clearing any potential blockages to reduce the risk of flooding”, the spokeswoman further commented.

The Wid in Essex; the Ouzel at Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire; the Derwent in East Yorkshire, and the River Stour in Warwickshire are among the rivers that are on the verge of flooding, reports the Environment Agency.

Meanwhile press officer Sam Todd said the incident room is being set up “as a precaution in light of expected heavy rain.” The incident room will allow local co-ordination in case flood strikes. Residents in Tewkesbury have been called to check out the EA website, www.environment-agency.gov.uk, for flood warnings. The incident room goes live at 2pm and will run 24X7 until the flood warnings lift.

Related:

Flood warnings in regions currently in drought

Hosepipe ban in parts of England, as drought lingers

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