Fire crews spent three-and-a-half hours at the scene of flash flooding in an area that was badly hit by Storm Darragh two weeks before. Teams from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFR) were called to reports of flooding in Hendreforgan, Gilfach Goch, at around 6pm on Wednesday, December 18.
It came as the region was hit by torrential rain, with more than an inch falling in some places. And it was just 10 days after a large sinkhole appeared in the back garden of a woman’s home in the area during Storm Darragh.
After the ground became sodden at sloping farmland to the back of the homes at the Heathlands estate, Gilfach Goch, Rhondda Cynon Taf, part of the land gave way, resulting in a significant hole in the garden. See more about that here. On Wednesday night, local residents filmed a torrent of water running down one of the main roads. Jade Jones and her daughter Caitlyn said it was like a “river running down the road”. For the latest Rhondda news, sign up to our newsletter here
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Jade said: “We just can’t understand why it was so bad. There had been a lot of rain but not enough to cause that amount of water. The road was closed off for several hours. We live in a cul-de-sac and the main way out was blocked off.”
A spokesperson for the SWFR said crews and appliances from Gilfach Goch “attended the scene and pumped all standing water using a light portable pump and ejector pump”. They left around 9.30pm. A spokesperson for Rhondda Cynon Taf Council said that teams were sent to the scene after reports of flooding in Gilfach Goch.
They added: “There is an ongoing issue in this area with a private culvert at a property at Highfields, the responsibility for which rests with the landowner.
“During last night’s rainfall, the issue caused surface water flooding, to which the council deployed resources. No reports of internal flooding have been reported to the council. The council continues to monitor the private culvert while the landowner makes arrangements with their insurance company to remedy this issue.”