MPs to explore whether Wales was ready for Storm Bert flooding

MPs will hear evidence this week at a parliamentary inquiry into whether Wales was prepared for the recent devastating floods and if the country is ready for future flooding.

Hundreds of homes were left underwater and roads were turned into rivers last month with the arrival of Storm Bert.

The extreme weather event caused flooding of over 400 properties in south Wales and over £250 million of economic damage across the UK.

A major incident was declared in Rhondda Cynon Taf where some residents said they didn’t receive a flood warning until their homes were already taking in water.

Adequate

Experts say that in future years, climate change is likely to worsen the severity and frequency of flooding.

The evidence session on Wednesday (18 December) by the Welsh Affairs Committee will explore if the warnings given for Storm Bert were adequate to allow people to protect themselves from flooding.

MPs will also examine how robust the weather warning system is in ensuring the public’s safety for future extreme weather events.

Concerns

Residents and local government officials expressed concerns with the weather warning system, with some council leaders saying the warnings did not come early enough for Storm Bert.

MPs are also likely to ask the UK and Welsh government agencies responsible for flood warnings and preparedness and how they jointly respond to flooding events in Wales.

Politicians may also question witnesses on the challenge of climate change, including the increased risk of coal tip landslides posed by flooding.

Storm Bert caused a category 5 coal tip landslide in Cwmtillery, Blaenau Gwent, leaving local businesses without electricity and forcing some families to leave their homes.

Industrial 

The damaging impacts of industrial waste on the environment – including potentially making floods more likely – will also be considered in the Committee’s recently launched inquiry on the legacy of Wales’ industrial past.

Oral evidence will be given by Jeremy Parr, Head of Flood Incident Risk Management at Natural Resources Wales, Simon Brown, Service Director at the Met Office and Russell Turner, Head of Centre at the Flood Forecasting Centre.