Shropshire Communities Respond to Storm Darragh Disruptions

Various establishments, including a public house and a Sikh temple, have extended assistance to residents in Shropshire affected by Storm Darragh. The George and Dragon Inn, located in Much Wenlock, made its premises available as a “warm hub” for locals, providing complimentary hot beverages and facilities for charging electronic devices. Concurrently, a gurdwara in Telford welcomed individuals experiencing power outages. This display of charitable support occurred after the storm left nearly 2,000 households without electricity. Ben Stanford, the pub’s landlord, stated: “We thought, because we could, we should. We managed to rope in few team members and put up some chargers so people can charge their kits.” The pub’s objective was to offer people a place of refuge and prevent them from feeling “fed up, just siting and staring at the same four walls.” Local bakeries and other businesses also contributed by donating food items. One local business representative noted: “We’ve been given some cake from another local business, because their fridges were out over the weekend.” Some residents in St George’s and Priorslee, Telford, had been without running water since Saturday, following the storm’s impact on a water pump in the vicinity. Councillor Rachael Tyrrell remarked that this “desperate situation” prompted a significant outpouring of community support. She added, referencing the Telford Gurdwara: “Telford Gurdwara has said it will continue to offer food and a warm place to anyone who is without water.” She further emphasized the inclusive nature of the support: “It doesn’t matter what race or faith you are, everyone is welcome here.” Councillor Tyrrell concluded: “That’s one thing we’re great at.. a great example of the community coming together and helping out.” Commercial enterprises are also grappling with the repercussions of the weekend’s events. Andy Booth, from Pink Moon Creations, a gift store in Coleham, Shrewsbury, reported that flooding had reduced customer traffic by more than half, causing considerable apprehension in the period leading up to Christmas. He commented: “Because of the road closure, not as many people are walking past… it’s quite worrying.” The Environment Agency (EA) has installed barriers at Coleham Head in Shrewsbury, and Shropshire Council advised drivers on Monday to avoid nearby roads. As of Monday evening, Shropshire was still subject to 15 flood warnings and eight flood alerts. Telford and Wrekin Council indicated that approximately 90 trees had fallen within the borough. For further updates, BBC Shropshire is accessible on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Information regarding our approach to external linking is available.