Monmouth Submerged as Storm Claudia Brings Record Flooding
The Welsh town of Monmouth is facing a massive clean-up operation after Storm Claudia unleashed unprecedented flooding that left much of the community underwater over the weekend. A major incident remains declared in the south-east Wales town as residents and business owners confront the devastating aftermath.
Dramatic Rescues and Community Response
Emergency services conducted dramatic overnight rescues on Saturday after the River Monnow broke its banks, submerging homes and businesses under floodwater that exceeded levels recorded during both Storm Dennis in 2020 and Storm Bert earlier this year.
Susie Martinez, 42, along with her sons Louis, nine, and Joey, five, experienced the terror firsthand when they had to be rescued from their Monmouth flat at 3.30am. "We had to climb out of the window and into a boat," she recounted. "It was terrifying."
The community has rallied remarkably, with local MP Catherine Fookes praising the response. "One of the most amazing things when I went to Monmouth leisure centre yesterday was the incredible staff and volunteers just coming in off the street," she told BBC Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement.
A local church has become a donation drop-off point, businesses are providing hot food, and the town's leisure centre has opened its doors to evacuated residents, including those with pets who couldn't be accommodated in hotels.
Unprecedented Flood Levels and Climate Concerns
Four severe flood warnings remain active for south-east Wales, indicating continued danger to life, after the River Monnow reached record levels. Natural Resources Wales recorded 119.6mm of rainfall at Tafalog in Gwent within just 12 hours leading to 6am on Saturday.
MP Catherine Fookes emphasised that the town must reconsider its flood defences following what she described as an "unprecedented" event. "The flood defences did hold in a similar situation in 2020 but this flood, this amount of water, coming very fast in a short space of hours, was most definitely unprecedented," she stated.
She directly linked the severity to broader environmental changes, adding: "I do think now with climate change and with the amount of big weather events that we're getting, that we do have to relook at flood defences."
Weather Shift and National Impact
As the clean-up continues, the UK is bracing for a significant temperature drop following the flooding. The Met Office reported temperatures plunging to minus 7C in Tulloch Bridge in the Highlands on Saturday night - the coldest recorded since March 20.
Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Dan Holley warned: "As Storm Claudia retreats to the south, high pressure to the north-west will drive a cold northerly flow from the Arctic across the UK. This will bring much colder conditions than of late and, whilst generally drier than recent days, there will also be a risk of wintry hazards, such as snow and ice."
The UK Health Security Agency has issued cold weather alerts for parts of the Midlands and northern England from Monday until Friday, while the Environment Agency continues to warn that flooding may persist throughout the weekend.
The storm's impact extended beyond the UK, with reports confirming that an 85-year-old British woman died in Portugal after extreme winds from Storm Claudia struck a holiday campsite.
