Storm Callum clean-up bill to cost council £100,000
THE worst flooding in parts of the Valleys for 30 years has cost Rhondda Cynon Taf council more than £100,000 as it undertakes a massive clean-up operation.
The council received 187 calls between Friday and Sunday as Storm Callum swept across Wales and the UK causing major disruption.
As much as seven inches of rainfall were recorded in some areas with official figures from the Tower Colliery rain gauge recording 180mm over Friday and Saturday.
The Glanaman rain gauge recorded 136mm of rainfall for the same period.
The council says that while it appears that all of the new flood defences and flood reduction measures the council had installed in recent years worked in high risk areas, many other areas were badly affected.
The council’s highways and streetcare teams, supported by cleansing crews, have been out throughout the adverse weather dealing with a huge number of calls from the public relating to flooding issues.
The same teams also undertook proactive measures in the run-up to the predicted severe weather.
The council also assisted the emergency services all weekend and the council’s social media channels provided regular updates to the public throughout.
In total, 2,500 sandbags and 45 additional staff have been used by the council to cope with the flooding.
Councillor Andrew Morgan, leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf council, said: “Our county borough has experienced unprecedented rain-fall in the tops of the Rhondda and Cynon valleys this weekend, estimated to have delivered the worst flooding impact in the last 30 years, hitting the Cynon Valley particularly hard.
“The clean-up operation has already commenced across Rhondda Cynon Taff and is ongoing.
“Frontline council staff have worked tirelessly over the weekend to tackle and respond to the huge challenges this weather event caused.
“This hard work follows days of proactive activities to prepare as best as possible for this severe weather.
“A number of culverts throughout Rhondda Cynon Taff exceeded their capacity, with homes being flooded and some residents having to be evacuated as a result of excess water.
“Surface water caused severe disruption to motorists, with many roads closed as a result of flooding.
“Upon the advice of the emergency services, the council was advising the public to only travel if absolutely necessary and not to drive through any flood waters.
“The financial impact of this first severe weather event of the winter is already estimated to be in the region of at least £100,000.
“As a result, we will now need to respond urgently to investigate and review locations where flooding has taken place, and I have asked for an urgent report to be considered by the cabinet later this week to make emergency funds available and consider how we respond to this.”
James Swankie, who lives on Cardiff Road in Mountain Ash, has had his basement completely flooded, with fire service crews spending seven hours clearing 800 litres of water a minute from his property.
In total he had three foot of water in his house after the area was hit by a month’s worth of rain over the weekend.
He puts the problem down to drainage issues caused by nearby housing developments
He said: “I have lived here for four years and have never had a problem with flooding.
“The council allowed all of these developments to go ahead.”