STORM GIVES THE BAY THAT SINKING FEELING
SOUTH Wales is today counting the cost of the weekend storm that left one man dead, and caused widespread flooding and travel disruption across the region.
A 32-year-old man died after being pulled from water in Penarth marina alongside a 35-year-old woman.
A spokesman for South Wales Police said the man was unconscious when he was rescued from the water by fire crews amid high winds and heavy rain, but died a short time afterwards.
South Wales evaded the worst of the flood damage from Storm Callum, which dumped around a month of rain on some parts in barely 24 hours, with the worst of the disruption affecting more westerly areas.
In Carmarthenshire, a 21-year-old man, named by police as Corey Sharpling, died in a major landslide on the A484 close to the village of Cwmduad, while much of Crickhowell, in Powys, was cut off by floods after heavy rain overnight into Saturday morning.
That same rain caused a significant risk of flooding on the River Taff, which threatened to burst its banks in Pontypridd and left walkways around Cardiff Bay’s Mermaid Quay covered in water and debris after levels in the bay rose over 5m.
Ben Salter, who runs the Open Boat Daffodil in Cardiff Bay, said this type of flooding is not an uncommon sight.
“It does happen occasionally,” Ben said. “It hasn’t been that bad for a while.”
The 59-year-old added: “It can happen a couple of times a year in my experience.
“It never stays flooded for too long, it only stays flooded during the high tide – that’s the way the bay functions.”
On the debris left behind, he said: “Someone’s got a big job to pick that up now.
“There’s a possibility that they may cordon off the waterfront because of all the debris and I’m hoping to run the boat tomorrow because the weather’s going to die down.”
The water levels had dropped by Saturday afternoon, although parts of the Bay remained cordoned off.
A spokesman for Cardiff Council said: “At 10.22am on Saturday the water levels in Cardiff Bay rose above 5m and spilled over into Mermaid Quay.
“This was managed effectively as part of the operational plan for when water levels are high. All commercial operators and mariners were informed. The water has since subsided.”
In Bute Park, the river overflowed on to the Taff Trail between Western Avenue and Blackweir, causing the cancellation of the ParkRun event, while a kayaker, believed to be a member of Cardiff University’s kayaking club, was captured surfing the whitewater rapids at the latter.
In Merthyr Tydfil, a busy high street was left covered in rocks and debris after a pavement collapsed on Saturday.
Parts of the pavement caved in along Dowlais High Street, revealing a stream of flowing water beneath the surface.
Merthyr Tydfil Council said the section of road between Market Street and Gwernllwyn Road had been closed as a result.
The local authority said Welsh Water were on site and were trying to divert the water to allow engineers to investigate the collapse.