Clwyd West AM Darren Millar has extended his sympathies to all households affected by the floods in Conwy and Denbighshire, whilst praising the response of both Denbighshire and Conwy Councils, and the emergency services on the ground.
Communities affected by flooding in Clwyd West include Llanfairtalhaiarn, Llansannan, Llangernyw, Llanddulas and Ruthin, where 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.
Speaking after discussing the floods in the Senedd, Darren said:
"Having lived in Towyn during the devastating floods 22 years ago, I know just how damaging flooding events can be and the emotional and physical toll they can take on local residents and businesses.
"My sympathies go to all those affected by this week’s floods and particularly to the family of the person whose life has been claimed in St Asaph.
"The emergency response on the ground has been incredible and I pay tribute to the work of all involved, they are doing a sterling job.
"Whilst we cannot prevent extreme weather conditions, we should be able to reduce risk through flood defence improvements and provide adequate flood warnings to those at risk so it’s particularly disappointing that the Environment Agency’s flood alert system did not seem to provide timely warnings for some households, particularly in Ruthin."
He added:
"The Welsh Government must take action to ensure that lessons are learned and flood warning systems are improved.
"Ministers must also engage with the Association of British Insurers as a matter of priority to ensure that households and businesses affected by this week’s floods are able to access affordable insurance cover for their properties in the future."