Flood Victims Support Calls for Public Inquiry in Plaid Cymru Report

The report, required by the Council as the Lead Local Flood Authority by the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 (Section 19), also provides a summary of the weather’s impacts and primary flooding types – and provides an overview of the roles and responsibilities of Risk Management Authorities. It does not identify causes, actions or works in relation to the storm event.

The flooding that affected the County Borough on February 15-16 (Storm Dennis) was, according to the report, a result of extreme rainfall. It was preceded by six weather warnings issued by the Met Office – ranging from Yellow to Amber and Red, as rainfall predictions increased closer to the event.

The report confirms that Storm Dennis resulted in internal flooding to 1,498 properties and caused extensive flooding of infrastructure – including rail and road networks, town centres, business parks and leisure facilities.

In the days following Storm Dennis the significant impacts were identified via inspections by the Council’s Flood Risk Management team, and information and accounts collected from residents, the Council’s Public Health team, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water (DCWW).

Detailed assessments of the flooding mechanisms and impacts caused during the storm have been produced for individual areas of Rhondda Cynon Taf. In total, 28 locations have been investigated across the County Borough, of which 19 will result in the production of Section 19 reports as required by Welsh Government criteria.

The report in full can be found on the Council's website here.

Councillor Andrew Morgan, Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, said: “This Section 19 report has been produced by the Council’s Flood Risk Management Team to record a detailed overview of what happened in Rhondda Cynon Taf communities before and during Storm Dennis. It is a fully-accessible document which is available for members of the public to read.

“The report looks at the timeline of events, including weather forecasts before and during the unprecedented weather – and provides an analysis of the rainfall and the performance of ordinary watercourses and rivers. It also focuses on the storm’s severe impacts, from flooding in local communities to its effect on the sewer network, pumping stations and other infrastructure.

“This report doesn’t intend to identify the causes of flooding in specific instances across the County Borough. This detail will follow for 19 identified areas of Rhondda Cynon Taf through separate Section 19 reports – of which one, relating to flooding in the village of Pentre, is being published today."