Probe into flooding unleashed by storm
A VALLEYS council is launching an investigation into severe flooding which hit the area over the weekend before last.
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council cabinet has agreed to release £100,000 from its general reserves to help cover the costs of heavy rains from Storm Callum which caused severe flooding across parts of Wales and the UK.
It cost the council around £100,000 from its existing budget to deal with the flooding over the weekend and the reserves have been released to rebalance this budget.
Council leader Andrew Morgan said there were only two areas affected by river flooding, including Mountain Ash, but that most of the flooding came from mountain culverts and combined sewer systems. He said: “There was too much water going into the sewerage system. The pumps couldn’t cope.
“Between 40 and 45 properties have flooded and between 15 and 20 businesses.
“The main reason for the variation in flooding was the level of rainfall.”
He highlighted that in one stream in Cilfynydd there was 60mm of rainfall and in the Coed Ely area there was 51mm recorded, compared to the river in Hirwaun where the level exceeded the previous record of 1.09m with 1.21m being recorded.
He added: “Where there are flood alleviation schemes, every one one of them has worked.
“We have previously had flooding down the valley, but there was a deluge at the top of the valley.
“We are doing some investigations to understand where the water is coming from and why. Some won’t be quick wins.”
He mentioned that RCT, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Powys and Merthyr Tydfil were particularly badly affected, and that there is due to be a statement from the Welsh Government on the matter.
“I hope there will be some sort of support – £200,000 to us is quite a considerable amount. Some culverts were not built to take this much water.”
He also expressed thanks for the hard work of council staff who dealt with the flooding.