Ceredigion’s Plaid Cymru AM Elin Jones visited the Strand, St. Mary Street and Gloster Row area of Cardigan on Monday, 6 January to meet local residents affected by flooding. On Friday 3 January, at least 30 homes suffered water damage as a storm tide coincided with high winds and a swollen river Teifi to inundate low-lying areas of Cardigan.

Elin Jones visited the area with the local county councillor for Teifi Ward, Catrin Miles.

Elin Jones, local Plaid Cymru AM for Ceredigion, said,

“I met a number of local residents and businesspeople in the Strand, St. Mary Street and Gloster Row area, and saw the heart-breaking effect of the flooding on Cardigan. Many people have been forced to leave their homes; some of them told me that this is the worst flooding they’ve seen in over 40 years.

“The emergency services have done great work, and council staff and agencies such as Care and Repair have been helping as much as they can. It’s also great to see how the community has pulled together to support those affected. But many people have lost so much, and it will take weeks to dry some of the houses.

“As shown by the problems right along the west coast, this combination of high tides and severe weather was particularly bad. But this low-lying area of Cardigan is a particular trouble-spot for flooding. Natural Resources Wales has already undertaken work such as providing protective barriers for individual homes. But the drains and slipways can’t cope with the amount of water. We need to look again at what else can be done to protect this area.”