RESIDENTS of Dyserth have called for greater action to prevent the village from flooding damage following the devastation caused by Storm Babet last week.
The New Inn pub, on Waterfall Road, has closed until further notice having incurred at least £15,000 worth of damage from last Friday’s (October 20) floods.
Jason Vernon, who runs his vintage store “Retroelectro” from his home on Glan Ffyddion, said the village has been hit by “five bad floods” in the last decade.
He has helped organise a village meeting to discuss future plans to enhance Dyserth’s protection from flooding, which will be held at The Red Lion on Waterfall Road on November 1 at 7pm.
READ MORE:
Dyserth pub closes ‘until further notice’ after Storm Babet flooding
Teenagers push cars out of water near Abergele amid Storm Babet floods
Rhyl pensioner forced to evacuate house as floods leave homes ‘ruined’
Denbighshire County Council (DCC) and Natural Resource Wales (NRW) have both been urged by residents, including Jason, to “address the persistent flooding”.
Jason said: “Once again, Dyserth was hit hard, with multiple homes and businesses completely flooded - yet we were forgotten about.
“I’m trying to organise a flooding response initiative, community-led, to help in the lead-up to and aftermath of floods and severe weather in the village.
“Rather than burying heads in the sand and just reacting to it (after it happens), I think we need more of a plan.
“I’m also trying to get both DCC and NRW to help address the persistent flooding, which is only getting worse and more frequent.
“We didn’t get any support from them, whatsoever. We were just left to it; it was shocking.”
Jason said his own home was largely unaffected by last week’s heavy rain, although roughly half of his garden was left flooded.
A resident of Dyserth for 16 years, he also said flood defence schemes for the village which have previously been mooted have been “abandoned”.
DCC said it has been developing a flood alleviation scheme for Dyserth.
Jason added: “The culverts aren’t draining enough when they’re put under heavy pressure, and the water has nowhere to go because it’s hitting the bridges along by the waterfall.
“I’d like some accountability, and to know that there are people coming out to assess the situation. In the meantime, we’re just left completely stranded.
“I need an answer to whose responsibility it is for clearing the river, and for pursuing the flood defence scheme in the area, which seems to have just been abandoned in the last few years.”
A second Dyserth resident, who asked not to be named, said that the a culvert which takes the surface water from two roads in the village is “not fit for purpose”.
They said that the culvert “blows its cover, leaving the water coming up like a fountain, which severely floods the road and some of the houses”.
The resident said: “We had to admit defeat on Friday as the water was coming in faster than we could bail it out, and the only way for us to get out of Dyserth was to wade through the waist-deep flood water.
“We’ve done our best to prepare for possible flooding and have sandbags and a submersible pump, but it’s just not enough to cope with that volume of water and we’re left utterly defenceless.
“We established that the culvert belongs to Denbighshire County Council, but we can’t get any further than that.
“We appreciate that there is a flood defence plan on the cards for the village, but it seems all a bit political as to whose responsibility it actually is to turn this plan into more than just words.
“Along with many other homes and businesses in Dyserth, we feel completely ignored and forgotten about, leaving us unable to protect our homes, businesses and beautiful village.”
A third resident, who asked not to be named, said St Bridget Churchyard in Dyserth was also flooded, and that the village as a whole was “cut off”.
They added that “no further action was taken” beyond a fire engine arriving so that people could be prevented from turning into a road.
The resident said: “Flooding has been so bad in Dyserth the last five years. There are problems with the River Ffyddion not being dredged, as well as with drainage.
“One neighbour resorted to taking a sledgehammer to the river wall to relieve the pressure of the water that didn't come from the river, but from the roads and unmaintained drains.”
In response, NRW said it is looking into the “exact source of the flooding” in Dyserth.
A NRW spokesperson said: “Flooding can be devastating, and our thoughts are with those affected by the heavy rainfall triggered by Storm Babet, which impacted several communities across North East Wales.
“We are currently investigating the exact source of the flooding at Dyserth, as we are aware of the river flooding in addition to the surface water and potential drainage issues.
“As we do after every serious flood event, we are also reviewing how all our flood assets performed across North East Wales. We will update further once we have carried out initial investigations.”
DCC added that is actively working to identify, address and develop solutions to areas in the county which are particularly prone to flooding.
This is an ongoing programme of works aimed at targeting those areas of highest risk and, working within available budgets.
A DCC spokesperson said: “We are actively assisting in the clean-up operations, and allocating funds to the repair of any infrastructure that may have been damaged by recent events.
“Our teams conduct an all-year-round maintenance operation on the gulleys, culverts and other associated drainage infrastructure, and revisit known problem areas when severe weather warnings are received.
“This is to ensure the infrastructure has as much capacity as possible to deal with any increased demand.
“We are currently operating at the maximum capability of our available resources and are doing our utmost to tackle such issues.
“Using Welsh Government funding, we have been developing a flood alleviation scheme for Dyserth, but the solution has not been straight-forward.
“We will, though, be reviewing the situation, and seeking a resolution as soon as we are able, and this will include close liaison with other relevant bodies.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here