Watch: Newport hit by flash flooding amid sudden downpour - more than 20 calls made to emergency services
A sudden downpour saw more than 20 calls placed to the fire service as Newport residents scrambled to save their homes.
Amid a warning that parts of the UK could see half a month’s rainfall in 24 hours, Newport seemed to take the brunt of Monday evening's (July 21) wet weather in Shropshire.
A sudden downpour saw several roads, including Wellington Road, Sandiford Crescent, Boughey Road and Upper Bar, experience flash flooding.
At around 8pm, The Pheasant Inn announced it would be closing for the evening due to flooding. By 9pm, calls to the emergency services were being made.
Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service station manager Craig Jackson said more than 20 phone calls had been made within minutes for help pumping out homes.
A crew from Newport fire station helped residents with isolating electrics and unblocking drains in the street.
Newport Community Library announced on Tuesday morning that it would be closed for the day due to flooding in the library. The library later announced it would remain closed on Wednesday to finish the clear-up.
It's not the first time the library has been forced to shut following a torrential downpour: the facility was closed for more than a week after flooding hit the town at the end of May in 2018.
Several residents were also reporting sewage had been left behind following the flooding on Tuesday.
Newport Councillor Peter Scott reported "human waste" under the bridge by the canal at Chetwynd End, and was advising people avoid the area.
By midday, Severn Trent said teams were onsite helping with the clean-up and ensuring the local network had returned to normal after the "huge volume of rain overloaded the network".
A Severn Trent spokesperson said: “We’re aware of the flash flooding in Newport and understand how distressing experiencing any kind of flooding can be.
"This was caused by the huge volume of rain experienced in the area, that overloaded the network.
“Our teams are currently checking that the local network has returned to normal and helping do any clean up that may be required.
"We’re sorry for any disruption to the local community, and we’ll have everything back to normal as quickly as we can.”
Newport Councillor Tim Nelson, whose garden was flooded in the storm, said: "My deepest sympathies go out to those homes and businesses affected by the terrible storms and downpour yesterday. We have seen this epic and worrying rain more and more recently. It is now countrywide, if not worldwide.
"Our drainage system was just not built to cope with so much water in a short space of time.
"We have been warned about climate change, I sponsored Newport Town Council's climate emergency resolution some years ago.
"I serve on Telford & Wrekin's Environment Scrutiny Committee, and whilst still looking at climate mitigation measures such as emissions, we are moving to adaptation. Rain like yesterday will unfortunately happen again.
"Myself and colleagues will be looking today at what reasonable and sustainable measures Newport Town Council can and should take."
