South Wales Fire and Rescue declared a major incident Saturday morning as Storm Claudia brought devastating flooding to Monmouth and surrounding communities. Emergency services conducted evacuations throughout the night, with authorities warning of significant danger to life as the River Monnow reached record levels exceeding those seen during Storm Dennis in 2020.
Natural Resources Wales issued four severe flood warnings Sunday morning, indicating "significant risk to life" on the River Monnow and River Wye. The agency confirmed river levels surpassed previous records from Storm Bert last year. Matt Jones, fire service area manager, said early Saturday: "This is a large-scale incident, and our crews and partners have been working tirelessly through the night and into today to help those affected. [...] I would urge the public to avoid the Monmouth area completely. The flooding is significant, and we need to keep routes clear to allow emergency services to reach the people who need us most."
Paramedics rushed one person to hospital Friday after the individual suffered a severe electric shock from floodwater at the Galleria Centre in Newport, where water reached nine feet.
Stephen Payne, the centre's owner, described feeling helpless: "I don't feel good. I feel helpless and am struggling to deal with what's happened but have to keep it together."
Emergency crews rescued multiple residents, including Jordan Lewis, 31, and her dog Django from a high street flat in Monmouth.
Transport Chaos
Officials closed the railway between Newport and Hereford until Monday, with Transport for Wales cancelling 53 services and delaying 85 others. Authorities shut Abergavenny and Pontypool & New Inn stations completely with no rail or replacement bus service. Officials closed multiple major roads including the A465 and A40, while Newport Bus suspended all services in Monmouth town centre.
Community Response
The British Red Cross deployed volunteers to Monmouth Leisure Centre, providing emergency cash and support to evacuees. Eleanor Stack, Crisis Response Operations Lead, said: "When severe weather hits, it's often the people who are already struggling who are most affected. Across the UK, our teams are working alongside local authorities to help communities most at risk - and will continue to do so for as long as we are needed."
Haberdashers' Monmouth School offered its facilities to displaced families and established a drop-off point for essential items.
Peter Fox MS, Welsh Conservative Member of the Senedd for Monmouth, called the situation the worst in 40 years. He demanded immediate Welsh Government support: "The coming days, weeks and months will be very challenging. [...] I will be calling on the Welsh Government immediately to make available whatever support they can for affected residents, businesses and communities."
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
