BBC Wales Environment Correspondent Steffan Messenger reported that communities affected by flooding are experiencing a significant impact on mental health, particularly in the wake of Storm Bert and Storm Darragh. Sharon Elward, local organiser for the Pontypridd Foodbank, shared that parents are closing curtains and turning up the TV to shield their children from fear. She highlighted the unrealistic nature of constantly moving furniture upstairs whenever there’s a flood warning, emphasizing the toll it takes on residents.
The Senedd’s environment committee is set to convene to listen to the agencies involved in the responses to Storm Bert and Storm Darragh, which caused extensive flooding in November and December 2024. Elward mentioned the psychological effects of seeing the streets of Pontypridd flooded, stressing that it not only affects residents but also drives economic hardship. She noted that the relentless monitoring of river levels and the necessity for parents to drown out their children’s PTSD symptoms with louder TV volume are concerning realities faced by the community.
Residents like Colin Fenn, who has seen his home in Pontypridd flood twice in recent years, expressed the heart-wrenching process of dealing with contaminated floodwater and the mental toll it takes. In other parts of the Rhondda valley, the Rheola Hotel in Porth faced flooding for the third time in five years, with a former manager highlighting the lack of warning ahead of Storm Bert, which resulted in significant damage to the business. Efforts to invest in private flood defenses are now underway.
There has been extensive debate surrounding the adequacy of warning provided by agencies like the Met Office and Natural Resources Wales in the aftermath of Storm Bert. The Rhondda Cynon Taf council is reassessing its internal warning systems and protocols following perceived late warnings from these organizations and emphasizing the need for coordinated efforts to address flooding effectively. Suggestions for a new flooding commissioner role for Wales aim to improve communication and coordination between different agencies involved in flood response
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
