Anger as Storm Bert leaves trail of destruction

People successful southbound Wales person expressed choler astir what they accidental is simply a deficiency of mentation for Storm Bert, aft ample parts of the state were devastated by dense rainfall implicit the weekend.

In Pontypridd successful Rhondda Cynon Taf, residents said lessons were not learned from Storm Dennis, which near overmuch of the municipality underwater successful 2020.

Andrew Morgan, the person of RCT council, said helium was “amazed” that lone a yellowish upwind informing was enactment successful spot aft Storm Bert, saying an amber informing was expected.

The Met Office said it would behaviour a “full assessment” but that the tempest was “well forecast” successful beforehand “with a fig of warnings successful place”.

First Minister Eluned Morgan said the interaction of Storm Bert has been "absolutely devastating".

"The severity and frequence of these events is thing we each request to beryllium alert of," she said, adding that "hundreds of millions of pounds person been enactment into flood defences successful Wales implicit the past fewer years".

Council person Andrew Morgan said helium was "surprised" a reddish informing was not successful spot for Storm Bert.

"During Storm Dennis we did spot an amber informing good successful advance, and a reddish informing issued successful the aboriginal hours," helium said.

He besides said that betwixt 200 and 300 properties were affected, with the rainfall surpassing immoderate records acceptable by Storm Dennis.

He added that 1 span that was nether construction, and which was replaced aft Storm Dennis, was wholly washed away.

Paula Williams, whose location is connected Sion Street successful Pontypridd adjacent to the River Taff, said she lone knew astir the flooding connected Sunday greeting due to the fact that a neighbour came knocking connected her door.

She said Natural Resources Wales (NRW) did not perceive to warnings from residents raised the past clip determination was flooding.

"This time, there's lone astir 4 inches of h2o travel successful but it's successful precisely the aforesaid spot that we told NRW astir past time," she said.

"They've tried to person everybody that the flood defences worked. I person got videos proving the flood defences don't work."

She said it was the assemblage neighbours warring to support the homes that stopped the flooding being arsenic atrocious arsenic successful 2020.

NRW has said it is "too early" to see if things could person been done differently.

Elsewhere successful Wales, Connor Turner, landlord of the Vine Tree successful Crickhowell, Powys, lone finished redecorating the pub a fewer days ago.

The business, connected the southbound slope of the Usk, had undergone a afloat refurbishment.

On Sunday they had to adjacent the edifice due to the fact that of the flooding and cancel each the bookings.

“For immoderate crushed it has go a normality. There needs to beryllium a imperishable solution," helium said.

He added that helium was not definite who to beryllium aggravated with.

“People are saying we person conscionable got to beryllium resilient. Surely determination is simply a imperishable solution, that is the annoyance here.”

Devon Eason, nine manager of Blackwood Rugby Club, Caerphilly, said helium was "devastated" aft the club's gathering and grounds were damaged by the flood.

He spent thousands refurbishing the facilities conscionable a fewer months ago, and the nine person had to cancel respective events portion they effort and rebuild the facilities.

"We finished the relation country astir 2 months ago, with each caller carpets, tables, chairs and toilets. So I americium perfectly gutted," helium said.

Mr Eason said 50 to 60 members of the assemblage showed up bringing h2o vacuums and sandbags.

"It conscionable goes to amusement however overmuch the nine means to people."

In a station connected X, Sir Keir Starmer thanked the exigency services for protecting communities.

The Welsh Government said: "Our thoughts are with those who person suffered flooding to their homes and businesses. The trauma and upset this causes should ne'er beryllium underestimated."

Sian Williams, caput of northbound West Wales operations for Natural Resources Wales, said:

“I cognize that determination are radical frustrated and that determination volition beryllium radical wanting answers, wanting to person immoderate benignant of reassurance that this won’t hap again.

“It is unluckily excessively aboriginal close present to deliberation astir whether things could beryllium done otherwise oregon amended oregon what tin beryllium done to amended the concern successful the future.

Simon Brown, services manager astatine the Met Office, said:

"As ever with a named storm, a afloat appraisal of the forecast and informing strategy volition instrumentality spot with our partners. I would expect this to instrumentality spot implicit the coming days."

"The warnings covering Wales highlighted the imaginable for homes and businesses to flood with accelerated flowing oregon heavy floodwater was possible, causing a information to life."

Additional reporting by Charlie Buckland