Valleys on flood alert as residents forced to flee their homes
PEOPLE in parts of the South Wales Valleys have been forced to flee flooded homes for a third time this year – after heavy rain and thunderstorms lashed the region for two days.
The village of Pentre, near Treorchy, was the worst affected following flash floods, four months after the area was devastated twice by flooding during Storm Dennis.
Thunderstorms brought torrential downpours and flash-flooding to the region last Wednesday evening, before more bad weather swept in the next day.
Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) Council said it would “respond proactively” after almost 200 properties were hit by flooding overnight on Wednesday, with emergency and highway crews sent to assist residents.
Fire service crews spent some five hours pumping water out of homes in Pentre, while local builders’ merchants handed out sandbags to use in properties.
The community had already suffered major flooding twice in less than a week in February.
It was estimated at the time the clean-up would cost up to £5m after a blocked culvert saw houses submerged.
But residents have now suffered the fresh heartache of seeing their houses fill with water again as thunderstorms brought heavy rain.
The rain saw drains overwhelmed and waters accumulate around properties in Lewis Street, Pleasant Street, Price Street, Volunteer Street and rush through houses on Treharne and many other homes in the Rhondda village that has had its fair share of misery in 2020.
Pentre wasn’t alone, with properties hit in High Street, Treorchy, North Terrace in Maerdy as well as streets in Treherbert and Ton Pentre.
A call for volunteers was issued to help with the clear-up at Maerdy Primary school, where the main hall and nursery were hit by the flooding.
The local community came together to help out those who have been flooded.
A building supplies company provided sand and bags at various locations yesterday morning.
Unlike February, this time the streets were relatively clear of pooling water.
But when the Echo visited yesterday we found residents wanting answers – answers as to why the drains weren’t working effectively and what is happening with the pumping station at the heart of the flooded area.
Sue Crudge is a Lewis Street resident who has rented a few streets away on Volunteer Street since her home was wrecked in the early hours of February 16.
Like many of her neighbours, building and redecoration work was close to being completed as the latest round of torrential rain hit.
“It’s horrendous, to be honest with you, I’m still in remission from cancer, this on top, my nerves have had it,” said the grandmotherof-one.
“My son has had to postpone his wedding, we were supposed to go in September.
“It’s one thing on top of another. And I just want to give my granddaughter a big cwtch.
“There has to be a light at the end of the tunnel.”
Sue, who works at a special needs school in Aberdare, was initially concerned about her Volunteer Street neighbours being flooded.
“I called the fire brigade because I was worried about next door and they asked me if I was getting to
Cyprus any water in... I walked out the kitchen and it was just coming in,” she said.
“I grabbed a load of towels and then I had a call from my neighbour in Lewis Street saying, ‘you need to come here now, it’s flooding again.’
“Well, I have to be honest I just broke into tears – I didn’t know what to do.
“I called my husband in because he was out the back trying to unblock the drain, thank goodness they went down to Lewis Street and it hadn’t been flooded, as we’d just had a new kitchen in.
“I don’t know how I’d have coped if it had. I was panicking, I could see my home coming together and I was thinking ‘please don’t happen again, please.’”
Aysha Powell’s house in Pleasant Street was ruined by floodwater in February too.
This time floodwater got into her garage and she barely managed to save her