Reassurance over 'typical winter flood' in Tewkesbury
FLOOD levels continued to rise in and around Tewkesbury yesterday, but officials stressed that the situation was not as bad as in November.
Several roads in the town and outlying villages were closed then and a number of properties flooded too.
But yesterday, it seemed unlikely that there would be a repeat of that, despite snow having melted after the thaw and a lot of recent rainfall.
The Environment Agency said it expected the River Severn at Tewkesbury to peak this afternoon.
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It said yesterday that the level at the Mythe was 4.19m and steady and that this afternoon's peak level would be between 4.2 and 4.4m.
The worst floods since 2007 were in November when the level reached 4.52m.
Spokesman Anthony Perry said: "We are expecting the River Severn in Tewkesbury to be similar to its level over Christmas and New Year after the recent rain and thawed snow. This is a typical winter flood for the town.
"Our teams are out and about clearing blockages in watercourses, monitoring the situation and issuing flood warnings to communities at risk.
"We encourage people to check their flood risk by visiting our website, www.environment-agency.gov.uk/flood or our Twitter feed, @envagencymids."
Abbey Terrace resident Maggie Thornton said the levels of the Avon and Swilgate near her home were a worry but that they were not nearly as high as they had been late last year.
She said: "We're going to watch the situation over the next few days. It's not as bad as December and nowhere near as bad as November."
Ian Baikie, of the Haw Bridge Inn at Tirley, was hoping his pub would not flood for the third time in three months but added: "We're not out of the woods yet."
Mandy Crump, who runs Crumpets tea rooms in St Mary's Lane, stressed that it was a case of business as usual in the town centre.
She said people needed to know that certain parts of Tewkesbury, such as The Vineyards, often flooded during the winter and that did not cause any real problems.
Most town centre streets such as St Mary's Lane, she said, were not affected and it was vital for traders like her that this message was put across.
The Met Office yesterday predicted Tewkesbury would be dry today but could see some rain tonight and tomorrow.
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