Residents relive trauma after new floods. They are calling for changes to prevent future disasters.
Official warnings arrived late during past floods. Their house already had water inside, and sandbags arrived too late to help. They still sit unused on the doorstep.
Ceri’s home is on Egypt Street in Treforest, near the River Taff. Storm Dennis hit hard five years ago, and seven feet of water flooded their home. They live there with their two kids and 1,498 homes and businesses suffered in the area.
Storm Bert flooded them again last November. Ceri and her husband have not moved back, as the Taff River flooded and damaged their house badly.
Ceri said nothing has changed since the prior flood. Her living room has ripped carpet and half-painted walls. A Peppa Pig painting reminds her of Christmas, and also reminds her of abandoning their home. Ceri no longer feels safe there.
The family cannot live in their home right now. Sandbags from November arrived very late, twelve hours after the water entered. She said people talked but did nothing. They worried about flooding for four years.
She says the impact on their mental health is awful. Her husband checks the river often and has markers to see if water rises quickly. He struggles to sleep when it rains, and they feel the need to check the river all the time.
Many others feel the same way, a local official stated. People flooded in 2020 are now on medication, who didn’t have mental health problems before. Mold also creates health risks, she stated. She requests specialized counseling for flood victims.
Ceri has lived there for 30 years. Her home flooded three times: 1998, 2020, and 2024. After 1998, she thought this was a one time incident, and thought improved river monitoring would help.
In 2020, Ceri saw water coming in her home. It was early in the morning, after friends came over the night before. They thought the rain wasn’t too bad, but the official flood warning came too late because water was already inside.
The water was ankle deep at first, but rose quickly as they tried to save things. They tried to get out of the house and it was almost too late to escape. “It was gushing in” she stated.
Her daughter was evacuated via boat, and firefighters helped with the rescue. Ceri said not enough people helped, however neighbors swam down the street to help people. Elderly residents were stuck upstairs scared.
Seven feet of water ruined their downstairs, and they could not move back for months. Insurance covers flooding, but premiums increase with each claim. She wonders how many floods until they deny coverage.
The effect of Storm Dennis did not disappear. They worried in heavy rain, and warnings often came too late, based on their experience. She thought they would be okay after Storm Dennis, because it was called a once in a lifetime event.
The mental toll is constant, Ceri explains. They check the river levels nonstop, and always worry “What if it does happen again?” They received no mental health support, and sought help on their own.
History repeated itself in 2024. Warnings did not come soon enough, and changes promised after Storm Dennis failed. The warning on Saturday was ordinary, but the next warning said they were flooded.
Her husband worried and stayed awake all night. They watched the river rise that Sunday, then neighbors tried to help them. They opened a sewage drain to divert water, but the drain could not handle the water, and Ceri’s home flooded again. Water reached the skirting boards.
Ceri says this is the last straw, and they will sell; she says they are forced to leave. She works nearby and checks the house often, but hates going there. She hopes the insurance company buys it.
She thinks the house will be hard to sell. She hopes to give buyers answers about flooding, but says that they have yet to have answers. Nothing improved after Storm Dennis, because they were promised a local flood warden.
The flood warden never appeared. They hoped for sandbags and pumps for the next flood, and Ceri believes the drains flooded their home.
After Storm Dennis, the council gave Ceri flood gates. One gate worked, one failed, and sandbags arrived late the following evening. The sandbags failed to work, she stated.
Heledd Fychan agrees not enough has been done since Storm Dennis. She wants more flood defenses and support, and a Flood Forum to help at-risk areas. The forum would bring agencies together.
Ceri saw workers clearing a field. They cut trees and checked drains, possibly before a meeting. She thinks they will use this to defend themselves.
She states that this effort is too little too late. This work should happen regularly, and it should have started five years ago.
The Natural Resources Wales inspected the river. They saw no overflow from the River Taff, and the water levels were lower than during Storm Dennis. They believe surface water caused the flooding.
The council will investigate this 2024 flood. Initial reports say water came from highway drains, yet the 2020 investigation found the River Taff as the cause. Natural Resources Wales manages the river flooding risks.
The council says they increased resources. They had extra staff for flooding, because Storm Bert was a major incident. The council provided 8,000 sandbags, and they advise residents to buy their own sandbags.
After Storm Dennis, residents got flood equipment. They received gates, vents, and sandbags, and residents should maintain the equipment. The council offers assistance for broken equipment. The council sympathizes and works to reduce flood risk.