Montgomeryshire Assembly Member, Russell George, has paid tribute to the ‘dedication’ and ‘bravery’ of the emergency services who responded to the exceptional flooding events in Mid and West Wales last weekend.
Today (12th June) during an urgent Government Statement triggered by the weekend’s events, Mr George commended the action of professional and volunteer emergency crews who responded so quickly to rescue several hundred people across Ceredigion and Powys from severe flood water.
He also praised community resilience to the disaster and said that all the towns and villages affected have shown a tremendous spirit of ‘courage and determination’. Commenting, Mr George said:
“I pay tribute to the actions of the emergency services, who saved scores of lives under difficult rescue conditions.
“The bravery and dedication shown by both professional and volunteer crews, was a testament to their professionalism and they should be commended.
“We should also not forget the courage, determination and spirit shown by the many communities affected over the weekend.
“This flooding disaster has caused considerable personal grief and trauma to hundreds of residents and it will take time for people to come to terms with what has happened.
“I know areas in and around Machynlleth, like Derwenlas, that has suffered repeated bouts of flooding in conditions far less severe than we witnessed on the weekend. Residents there simply do not know what to do.
“It is incumbent on us as national politicians to show leadership and help people to move forward and get back to normality as quickly as possible.
“We need reassurances from the Welsh Government that it is able to meet the requirements of local communities in their time of need.
“We also need to examine current infrastructure and the need for surveillance of Welsh rivers to monitor the potential weaknesses, which could lead to flash flooding. I have repeatedly raised concerns about the Dyfi Bridge but it seems to fall on deaf ears.
“I hope Welsh Ministers will consider whether its structures and policies are sufficiently robust and what progress can be made to prevent future flooding disasters.”