Roads closed, homes wrecked and rail disruption: Flash floods wreak havoc after torrential rain

Police today confirmed a man has died after his vehicle had been submerged in flood water in Walsall.

Roads have been closed, homes flooded and public transport disrupted by the heavy rain yesterday.

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People have been left counting the costs of the damage after prolonged showers and lightning storms.

Rail and roads disruption

West Midlands Railway said the line between Walsall and Rugeley Trent Valley was blocked due to flooding.

Services started and terminated at Walsall Railway Station while replacement transport was in operation and called at all stations affected.

The M54 was closed this morning after flood water damage.

Highways England officers have been repairing barriers from J1 to the M6 eastbound.

The route reopened shortly after 10am.

The A5 near Gailey had also been blocked due to the treacherous conditions.

A flood alert is in place in Worcestershire and four remain across the West Midlands today.

Flood warnings were issued for the River Penk in Penkridge and at Acton Bridge, as well as where the River Sow and Penk meet near Stafford.

A warning was also in place for the River Worfe near Pattingham.

The Environment Agency said: "We're supporting our emergency services partners and councils to help people affected from surface water flooding."

The Met Office said a site at Winterbourne, in Edgbaston, recorded 58mm of rainfall in just one hour on Sunday afternoon, and 81mm in a 12-hour period.

The monthly average for the West Midlands region in May is 55mm.

Insurance companies will be facing hundreds of claims from people caught up in the deluge.

That will include claims from households who would normally expect to be safe from flooding, according to a former regional transport boss.

Councillor Phil Bateman said he was stunned by the sheer weight of rainfall: "The weather was absolutely horrendous and I feel for all the homeowners who are facing up to problems.

"Some people would have thought they were in a safe place, well away from known flooding areas – but when that deluge came down on baked ground it created an extraordinary body of water.

"It was an extraordinary amount of rain, so people who have never been flooded before were affected because of the sheer weight of water that came crashing down.

"And it is awful to think people will be coming back from their holidays to see their houses have been hit.

"I would call for the community to get involved in the great mop-up to help out people whose homes have been affected."

Emergency services work round the clock to help those stranded

Firefighters rescued a man from a car on Lordwood Road near Bearwood last night.

A driver also had to be rescued after a car was submerged in flood water under Greenfield Lane railway bridge, near Moseley, Wolverhampton.

Routes by Birchley Island in Oldbury saw major disruption including on Wolverhampton Road in both directions.

Flooding had blocked Bridgeman Street in Walsall between Bradford Street and Station Street.

Police urged motorists not to travel down Boatmans Lane,in Walsall Wood.

High water levels caused four vehicles to be abandoned - three of which were submerged.

They said crews from Upton and Kidderminster have been among those to assist and advise homeowners and help stranded motorists.

Flood water swamped routes in Tipton including Walker Street and Toll End Road.

Leabrook Road North, in Wednesbury, which was the scene of a recent flood due to a burst water main, was underwater again after heavy showers.

Officials on the Midland Metro advised travellers that passenger information boards had been disrupted by the heavy showers.

Firefighters in Bewdley tweeted a video showing flood water in the area.

"Severe thunderstorm has led to multiple properties being flooded in the Hollywood and Wythall area," they tweeted.

Homes damaged by flash flood water

Fire control received a high number of calls to the Albrighton area yesterday to rescue people trapped in flood water and deal with flooding which affected electrics.

Tettenhall firefighters helped Shropshire fire crews pumping out flood water from a house - and were given coffee and biscuits as a thank you.

Water can be seen up to the windows outside Russ Cockburn's family home.

Crews tweeted: "Spent the afternoon in Albrighton assisting Shropshire Fire pumping out floodwater from this man’s house and he kindly supplied us with coffee and biscuits"

Public relations manager, Mr Cockburn, aged 39, said he was stunned when flood water entered his home.

"The rain was coming down and we didn't know how much there was going to be," he said

"I went to do a bit of work in my office which is next to the house and my wife texted me saying 'I think the water is going to come into the house'.

"Within five minutes it was in the lounge up to my knees.

"It had all come from the back garden, there's a stream that runs behind the gardens.

"Thankfully it stopped before it got into the dining room otherwise that would have been a disaster.

"It was save what you can. It happened that quickly, within three minutes it was up to my shins and within five it was up to my waist.

"Most important was getting the sentimental things out like photos of the kids. The lounge is ruined by worse things happen in life.

"My wife (Joan) was emotional. It's our dream home. We bought it with the purpose of being our final home. We have spent a lot of money on it so it wasn't nice to see water gushing in.

"But we got our game heads on very quickly and thought about what we needed to do.

"We checked on our neighbours to make sure they were ok. That's the main thing, you can always replace TVs and sofas. We're in the process of sorting the insurance.

"The firefighters were excellent. They went above over and above what they needed to to get us safe.

"Talking to people in the village it is the worst they have seen it and people have been living here for 30 years. It was an hour and a half of torrential rain."

Birmingham was also badly hit by flooding, including parts of Harborne, Stirchley, Selly Oak and Edgbaston.

Priory Road was closed off by Edgbaston Priory Club due to a fallen wall.

And flood water swept along Bristol Road.

People had to be rescued from their homes as water levels rose.

Birmingham City Council today issued a statement saying four roads remained closed due to flood water and clean up operations. This included Aldridge Road, between Great Barr and Perry Barr, and Priory Road, in Edgbaston.

The council said: "While flood water is now starting to subside, motorists are advised to take extra care when out on the roads and avoid driving through flood water, regardless of how shallow it may appear.

"Please also be aware of debris and raised ironworks from blown manhole covers as a result of the flooding."