Storm Ciarán brings severe flood warning and property flooding to southwest Wales

Storm Ciarán brought high winds and further rainfall to southwest Wales on 1 and 2 November 2023, following heavy rain in the days before, according to a written statement by Julie James MS, Minister for Climate Change, published on 20 November 2023¹. Natural Resources Wales issued a severe flood warning for the River Ritec in Tenby, a flood warning for the River Solva, and several flood alerts across West Wales¹.

As of 17 November 2023, the latest update of internal flooding to properties recorded 7 properties affected during Storm Ciarán, in Pembrokeshire (2), Carmarthenshire (2), Neath Port Talbot (2) and Wrexham (1)¹. The statement also gives figures for the earlier Storm Babet, which arrived on 20 October and was the first named storm to affect Wales that winter season, and for a period between the two storms:

The statement says the minister offered condolences to the loved ones of those who lost their lives across the UK during Storm Babet, and sympathies to people whose properties were affected in both storms¹. It records that Local Resilience Forums were stood up as part of the response, and that a routine evaluation exercise is under way to reflect on what worked well and what could be done better during future named storms¹.

The statement says the Welsh Government has allocated over £75m in Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management in Wales this year, described as the highest ever annual spend on flood risk management in Wales to date, including £34 million of capital funding for Risk Management Authorities¹. It says Natural Resources Wales estimates that over 1000 properties did not flood in the storms because of the investment in place, that revenue funding for local authorities is being held at £225,000 each, and that as of April 2023 there were 71 community flood plans across Wales: 34 in South Wales, 14 in Mid Wales and 23 in North Wales¹.

Why it matters for households

The statement covers households in Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot and Wrexham that experienced internal flooding during Storm Ciarán, and those in Conwy, Flintshire, Wrexham, Powys and Carmarthenshire affected during Storm Babet and the rain of 23 October¹. It says further named storms are likely through the winter and describes preparedness as paramount¹. The minister points to Natural Resources Wales guidance on what to do before, during and after a flood, and to information on its website about joining a community flood group, alongside organisations that support flood groups such as the National Flood Forum and Local Resilience Forums¹. The statement does not give details of financial support for individual flooded households; the property flood resilience grant position in Wales is not set out in it.

What happens next

Officials and Natural Resources Wales are taking part in a routine evaluation of the response to the named storms, to record what worked well and what could be done better in future¹. The statement gives no date for that exercise to report. The Welsh Government says it encourages local authorities to continue engaging with the capital funding process for proposed flood schemes¹.

For background, see Flood Alerts, Flood Warnings and Severe Flood Warnings, Types of Flooding: River, Sea, Surface Water and Groundwater and Wales: Natural Resources Wales Warnings and Risk Maps. Households preparing for further storms can read the checklist when a flood warning is issued and the wider flooding guide.