TODAY marks the tenth anniversary of the devastating floods which wreaked havoc in Droitwich.
On July 20, 2007, persistent rainfall and drains struggling to cope with the deluge, left much of the town centre flooded and some parts of the High Street under 15ft of water.
Roads in and around the town were shut leaving many motorists and commuters stranded in flooded areas and, while Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service carried out boat rescues to ship people to safety, many town centre businesses were left in ruins.
A rest centre was set up in Droitwich Community Hall, originally for motorists stranded on the M5 which had become flooded. But, because of the town’s need, residents were also temporarily housed there.
In total 52 commercial properties, including businesses in the High Street and the town’s Leisure Centre were devastated
And 42 residential properties fell victim to the floods. Among the roads affected were Vines Lane, Hunters Way, The Firs and Swan Drive.
As part of the clean-up operation, Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service pumped around 8million litres of floodwater from the High Street.
The true extent of the damage then became apparent, showing how many businesses had been wiped out.
The authorities were joined by desperate residents who all pulled together to get the town back on its feet.
Statistics show 98mm of rainfall fell on July 20, more than twice the daily average for July.
Coun Richard Morris, who was mayor at the time, said: “It was very much a time of togetherness – the community’s response was fantastic.
“After seeing the devastation, Edgar Harwood suggested we set up a flood fund.
“I decided to suspend the fund-raising from the usual mayoral causes until the new year and diverted the funds into that.”
Those donations, along with others from the town’s Rotary and Lions Clubs, individuals, cash from Bad Ems, the twin town in Germany, and other organisations saw £8,700 raised.
It was used to fund immediate needs, such as electricity, food and taxis, respite holidays,payments to help residents and cash to assist the stricken shops.
At the time, he added, some residents were living in one room or some just in the upstairs of their homes, depending on how they were affected.
Former councillor Pam Davey said: “There was a great deal of distress, particularly to residents in Vines Lane.
“They were completely flooded out.
“It was a case of finding ways and means to put people back on an even keel.
“A lot of people were very anxious about using their kitchens for cooking and other elements.
“And it wasn’t just the physical damage, it was the emotional impact as well.
“It took months for businesses to get back to where they were.
“People really did their all the stops to get things back to normality.”
Historian Alan Davey also remembers the floods.
He said: “A lot of people thought the canal in Vines Park had burst its banks but in hindsight it actually took a lot of the water and lessen the effect of the flooding.”
He added in 2007 the well-maintained canal only stretched as far as Ladywood before the area was neglected, meaning it could not hold as much water as it could now.
“The canal now goes all the way down to the River Severn so it if a similar thing happened now, the canal would actually work even better to alleviate flooding.”
