The news crews may have left, but for the residents of Conwy and Denbighshire whose homes were hit by floods on November 27th, the misery and heartache continues and will do for months to come.
Having lived in Towyn during the devastating floods 22 years ago, I know just how damaging flooding events can be. I was just a teenager when a combination of storm-force winds, a high tide and extreme wave conditions caused a 400m long breach of the sea wall, causing a flood which covered four square miles and affected 2,800 properties, including our family home. We were unable to move back into our home for 6 months as my parents battled with the insurance company and oversaw the building repairs. It was awful, and I sympathise fully with all those affected by this latest devastation.
What happened that last week of November was a disaster that took everyone by surprise and required a massive rescue and clean-up operation. The emergency services and Environment Agency Wales, along with Denbighshire County Council and Conwy County Borough Council must be praised for their outstanding efforts in what were extremely challenging conditions. The response of volunteers and organisations such as the British Red Cross, the WRVS and the RNLI, was equally outstanding.
Whilst we cannot prevent extreme weather conditions, but we should be able to reduce risk of flooding to existing homes and businesses through a combination of flood defence improvements and efficient flood warning systems.
It was particularly disappointing that the Environment Agency’s flood alert system did not provide sufficient warnings for some households in parts of North Wales in advance of these recent floods.
In Ruthin, the approximately 300 residents who live on the Glasdir estate were alerted at about 6:20am after a postman spotted the river levels were dangerously high. By 7:30am the estate was flooded. These residents had no warning and were therefore unable to adequately protect their homes and safeguard their belongings. The Welsh Government must take action to ensure that lessons are learned and flood warning systems are improved.
We also need an overhaul of the planning system to minimise the risk of flooding in the future. We need to create a bluebelt designation to stop building on flood plains and in other high risk areas and there must be a new requirement to consult with Welsh Water and the insurance industry when new developments are proposed - it's just common sense.
Welsh Ministers must also engage with the Association of British Insurers as a matter of priority to ensure that households and businesses affected by the floods are able to access affordable insurance cover for their properties in the future.
As each week passes and the headlines die down we must remember that for the victims of the North Wales floods the nightmare is far from over. It will take months to restore their homes and in the meantime many are having to live in alternative accommodation without their possessions, some of which they will never be able to replace even when they eventually receive their insurance payouts.
As we all look forward to Christmas it is important that we do not forget all those affected by the floods, for who the festive season will be far from merry this year. The generosity of local communities has so far been overwhelming, lets hope that continues.