Plaid Cymru’s Peredur Owen Griffiths has called for more robust storm defences after Monmouth was hit badly by flooding over the weekend.
Storm Claudia brought devastation to the town overnight on Friday as the River Monnow burst its banks following a torrent of rain. Residents had to be evacuated from their homes by boat due to rising water levels which also flooded numerous businesses in the historic town during the early hours of Saturday.
The major rail route between Newport and Hereford was also forced to close after a section of track near a level crossing in Pandy was severely damaged, leaving a two-metre void between the suspended track. Repairs are expected to run at least until Tuesday with rail services suspended in the meantime.
Peredur, who represents the region and is the Plaid Cymru spokesperson for Transport, said: “This is utterly devastating for the town of Monmouth and local residents who have been flooded. As we have seen elsewhere in my region, floods can take a long time to bounce back from.
“It is heartening to see how people in Monmouth have rallied to help those affected residents and businesses with donations of essential supplies and assisting with the clean-up operation.
“These major incidents can be very distressing but they also bring out the best in people with generosity, kindness and compassion shown in abundance.”
Peredur added: “These major floods are becoming more and more common. What was once regarded as a once-in-a-lifetime weather event seems to be occurring annually. This means that serious thought has to be given to existing flood defences .
“Some of them are clearly not robust enough for climate crisis we face. Taking action will take serious amounts of investment but this cost will be dwarfed by the cost of doing nothing.
“The closure of the railway line between Newport and Hereford for several days while emergency repairs are conducted will have a huge cost for the local economy.
“I know from visiting the Wales Rail Operating Centre earlier this year that delays to transport services as a result of our increasingly extreme weather are becoming more and more frequent.
“We must reassess the measures and defences that were built at a time when the climate was different to what we experience now. The fact that this has changed in such a short space of time is frightening and must act a wakeup call.”