Storm Bert: Flood warnings need to be better – Wales first minister

The first minister says that Wales needs better flood warnings after Storm Bert devastated homes and businesses at the weekend.

Eluned Morgan said she would raise the issue following complaints about alerts from Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and the Met Office.

Welsh Conservative Andrew RT Davies told the Senedd some residents only became aware of the flooding after they were told by neighbours.

Morgan faced calls for more cash for coal tip safety from Labour in Westminster following the landslip in Cwmtillery, but the first minister said it would be “difficult” to spend more than the £25m offered.

She said she was “confident” Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer would provide more money, but Plaid Cymru accused her of being “out of touch”.

In the Senedd she promised payments to households of £1,000 for the uninsured, and £500 for the insured.

It is in addition to grants of £1,000 offered to small and medium sized businesses, and residents, by Rhondda Cynon Taf council.

Boil water notices were issued in parts of the Rhondda valleys on Tuesday.

Blaenau Gwent council meanwhile told residents in Cwmtillery not to go back to their properties except to collect belongings in a “managed way”.

It said it was working on a “safe return” for people living in the affected area.

NRW, which is overseen by Morgan’s Welsh government, said on Monday that it would look into complaints that warnings had came too late.

Concerns had also been raised, by Labour Rhondda Cynon Taf council leader Andrew Morgan on Monday, about the yellow weather warning that was issued by the Met Office.

Conservative Senedd leader Davies told the Senedd that if there was a “greater warning, then there could have been more preventative measures put in place”.

There was a “genuine point” over the yellow warning that was issued, he said, when it was forecast “that a month’s rain was going to fall in 24/36 hour period”.

Davies said in some of the most severely affected areas in Pontypridd that the first residents realised there was flooding “was when neighbours were going from house to house”, banging on doors.

He said there had been a failure to learn lessons and implemented an alert process.

First Minister Eluned Morgan said Natural Resources Wales issued 131 alerts and warnings, “including two severe flood warnings with over 95,000 messages sent”, reaching 46,000 people.

“So they did quite a lot. The question is, could they have done more?”

Later, in response to Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth, she added: “I accept that people need better warning, and that is something clearly that will need to be discussed with NRW and the Met Office.”

A meeting will take place next week with NRW and councils, Morgan said.

The first minister defended the Welsh government’s record on flood defence, four years after Storm Dennis had hit Wales.

She said the rain had been more frequent and intense in parts, and river levels higher, but far fewer homes were affected than in 2020.

Plaid Cymru’s ap Iorwerth criticised the £25m promised by the UK government for coal tip safety, following Sunday’s landslip at Cwmtillery.

Estimates he said suggested it could cost £600m over 10 to 15 years. “These tips need to be made safe and urgently,” he said.

Morgan said nothing had been forthcoming from the previous Conservative government “for four years”.

She said she was “really pleased that the first Labour government answered our request for £25m, which is what we asked for, because we recognise this is a 10 to 15 year project”.

“There will be limits of being able to absorb additional money, because there will be limits in terms of expertise [and] equipment.

“If they gave us the money, it would be very difficult to use it all up because of the lack of expertise that we need to build up.”

But she said the Welsh government will ask for more cash. “I am very confident that he will be forthcoming, as he was last time”.

“This shows a deeply worrying lack of urgency by a first minister who is clearly out of touch,” ap Iorwerth said later.

On Tuesday a boil water notice was issued to a Blaenrhondda, Blaencwm, Tynewydd, Treherbert, Treorchy, Cwm-parc, Pentre, Ton Pentre, Gelli and Tonypandy.

Dwr Cymru followed extensive flooding to extensive flooding to Tynywaun Water Treatment Works in Treherbert.

Water bottle stations are being set up customers following the ‘boil water’ notice for areas of Rhondda Cynon Taf.

The Welsh government said on Tuesday it is providing funding to eligible councils to provide immediate financial support.

It means local authorities will be able to offer grants of £500, or £1,000 if they are uninsured, to affected households.

The discretionary assistance fund is available for people experiencing severe financial hardship, while the Development Bank of Wales may be able to offer loans to hard-hit businesses.