VILLAGE HIT BY NEW FLOOD MISERY
A VILLAGE in the Valleys is clearing flood damage for the second time in less than a week following torrential rain on Wednesday night.
Residents of flooded streets in Pentre, near Treorchy, have been clearing damage since Sunday, after heavy rain saw a blocked culvert overflow into streets below.
But further downpours resulted in more flooding for many in the area.
Yesterday morning, parts of Pleasant Street in Pentre were under about 12 inches of water with rain seen gushing out of a culvert further up the hill.
Emergency services and council workers were on the scene attempting to pump water away from affected areas and limit damage.
Liam Cadwallader’s grandparents live on Pleasant Street. He arrived yesterday morning to help residents.
“It shouldn’t be happening,” Liam said. “Up the canolfan last night they were told it is only a yellow warning so there was no risk of flooding but clearly something is going on. My grandfather is nearly 80 for God’s sake so he’s worried.”
Bethan Morgan, 46, lives on Madeline Street, a short distance from Lewis Street which was badly hit on Sunday.
She said: “It is coming from the park. It’s just gushing completely down Pleasant Street.
“My son does a paper round in Pentre and he came home this morning and said it is all flooded again.”
Philip Hodder lives on Lewis Street and has been battling flooding since Sunday.
“I was taking my daughter in law to work this morning and I had a phone call off my neighbour to say Pleasant Street has been flooded again,” Philip said.
“Luckily the emergency services have contained it. I’m heartbroken for me but I’m more heartbroken for them.”
A man praised local people for supporting his church’s efforts to help the villagers.
Paul Sass of The Salvation Army in Pentre and his team went out after Sunday’s deluge with flasks of hot water to make tea and coffee for stricken residents.
He said: “The response from the local community – both from people coming to the hall with donations or messages on Facebook from those asking us what we needed and messages of support, was absolutely phenomenal and the local council has been fantastic.
“To see the way people are interacting and supporting each other has restored my faith in the power of community and of the importance of people pulling together during times of need.”
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn visited South Wales yesterday to see the damage and insisted he isn’t politicising the flooding.
Mr Corbyn was invited into the homes of people living in Wordsworth Gardens in Rhydyfelin who were woken at 3am on Sunday as water poured into their kitchens and front rooms.
Richard Oliver, who lives at one of the properties with partner Emma Adamiec, said he rushed outside in the early hours after being woken by a loud bang. Floodwaters from a culvert designed to take water from the hillside above the housing estate had cascaded down the hill towards half a dozen properties.
The force of the water was so great, it caused a wall to collapse, which woke up most people in the row of houses owned by Newydd Housing Association. Mr Oliver said floodwaters went from ankle deep to knee-high “within a matter of seconds”.
Next door, Selena Adamiec, Emma’s sister, had also been woken up by a “bang like an earthquake” as the brick wall tumbled down right outside her front door. Water poured into her hallway, destroying her carpets.
It is the second time in 10 years Miss Adamiec’s house has flooded and she said each time it happens, it takes longer to recover. She is nervous about the heavy rain which continues to lash Wales in the wake of Storm Dennis.
The rain continued to fall yesterday afternoon as Mr Corbyn listened to Mr Oliver and Miss Adamiec explain how the “foul-smelling putrid water” had ripped through their homes. Mr Corbyn told them how sorry he was and said he was pleased to see how the community had pulled together at such a difficult time.
He said it was important for government figures to visit people “to learn about the reality of flooding and to learn about lessons for the future”.
Ahead of his visit, the Labour leader had accused Boris Johnson of neglecting those affected and had shown his “true colours” by not convening the Government’s emergency committee Cobra.
The Tories hit back at Corbyn’s comments, accusing him of attempting to “politicise the floods”. However, Mr Corbyn told residents and reporters: “It’s not politicising floods. It’s about coming here and learning lessons from the floods and the immediate response.
“It’s recognising we have got to change our whole attitude to flooding and climate change.
“Just visiting and listening people
affected, you can learn a great deal about the reality of what flooding really is.”
Up to 1,000 homes and businesses in Rhondda Cynon Taf are believed to have been hit by flooding.
RCT council says 537 houses and at least 300 commercial properties have been flooded with the total expected to rise.
The rainfall caused a small landslide behind the Rhondda Cynon Taf council headquarters in Clydach Vale which forced council staff and a cabinet meeting to be moved to different buildings on the site yesterday.
A statement from the council said staff were moved only as a precaution and following an engineer’s assessment it has confirmed there is no danger to the public or property.
Councillor Andrew Morgan said: “It’s another day that crews are busy and staff are busy right across the valley. We know the number [of properties affected] is growing day by day as more people inform us what’s happened so we are expecting the number to top probably now 1,000 properties.
“On top of that we had massive damage to infrastructure. At least three, possibly four bridges will need to be completely replaced.
“We have numerous culverts which are collapsing under the sheer force of the water.”
He also said there is urgent action to put additional measures in place to deal with issues around river walls.
He added: “All I’d say to the public is, every person we can draft in is being drafted in and we’re currently in discussion with other local authorities who are looking to provide support for Rhondda Cynon Taf.”
One of the businesses affected was The Green Rooms live music venue and rehearsal space in Treforest.
Waking up to messages from musicians on Sunday asking him if everything was okay, owner Jonny Foxhall’s initial response was to say “yeah, no problem”.
However, living in Cwmparc at the head of the Rhondda, the 32-year-old wasn’t aware the Taff had flooded at Upper Boat causing flooding misery for businesses on Treforest Industrial Estate, including his.
Water had got in and destroyed much of the equipment and ruined the facilities inside.
Now the business, which has been up and running since 2009, but which was only taken over by Jonny in 2018, has set up a Go Fund Me appeal.
In addition, fundraising shows at Jac’s in Aberdare and Globetrotters Bar in Pontypridd have been organised to raise money for The Green Rooms and Clwb Y Bont in Pontypridd, another valleys live music hub, which was also severely damaged by the floods.
The railway line between Pontypridd and Treherbert has now reopened after being shut for days after a landslip at Trehafod.