Communities flooded and thousands left without power as clean-up begins after Storm Darragh

  • ITV Wales' National Correspondent Rob Osborne reports.

Storm Darragh brought damage and disruption across Wales after heavy rain and wind caused fallen trees, flooding and power cuts.

The storm hit on Saturday, 7 December, with thousands of homes left without power and major travel disruption as people were told to stay indoors.

A yellow warning for wind was in place until 6pm on Sunday, 8 December.

Credit: Jamie Morris

One of the areas worst affected by heavy rainfall is Builth Wells.

Residents posted videos on social media on Saturday evening showing the extend of some of the flooding.

Gwyn Davies, owner of The Fountain Inn, posted a video on Facebook showing water levels rising both inside and outside the pub with the caption: "4 inches deep inside and holding."

Builth Wells Town Council posted a statement on social media saying: "Thankfully the water has started to recede and now the clean up begins.

"Big thanks to the team from Penmaenau farm who have cleared The Strand (A483) and reopened the road.

"Unfortunately the public toilets near the river on The Groe (as can be seen in the photo) will have to remain closed until we can get them properly cleaned."

Power

The National Grid said there were almost 58,000 properties without power in mid and south Wales.

Scottish Power Manweb said more than 114,000 of its customers had been affected by Storm Darragh.

By 2.30pm on Sunday, over 655 separate incidents on the power network had been reported.

SP Manweb had arranged for a catering company in Anglesey to provide hot meals to those without power, while it was also working with the Red Cross going door-to-door to check on customers on SP Manweb’s Priority Service Register in Wales to see what additional support could be provided, including accommodation and welfare packs.

The owners of Llandudno pier said the pier "took an absolute battering" during the storm.

Liam O’Sullivan, SP Manweb director, said: “The prolonged duration of the high winds and unsafe conditions hampered our engineers’ repair works in some areas, but we are making good progress now that the wind speeds are subsiding with more homes being reconnected at pace.

“We have every team available working to get people back on supply, including additional resources deployed from Merseyside and Scotland to support the restoration efforts. We also have helicopters in the air to identify faults where roads are impassable and specialist tree cutting teams working to clear debris from lines.

“For those without power, please rest assured we are doing everything we can to get power back on for you and are prioritising those who’ve been off the longest as well as providing additional support such as accommodation, welfare packs and hot food to those most in need.

“We’d remind anyone experiencing a new power outage to report it to us by calling the free, national emergency helpline 105.”

Travel

There were road closures across Wales, including the M48 Severn Bridge in Monmouthshire, due to high winds.

Transport for Wales asked passengers to check timetables before travelling as many trains were cancelled.

Great Western Railway said the severe weather had left all lines blocked between Cardiff Central and Carmarthen, with services "unlikely" to resume before 12pm on Sunday.