RESIDENTS of a rural Conwy community have been left “absolutely disgusted” by the lack of forewarning for devastating floods.

Despite the promise of works to Llanfair Talhaiarn’s flood defences last year, residents awoke on Sunday, February 9 to find waist deep waters filling the village square, following torrential rainfall caused by Storm Ciara.

According to Kim Cooper, owner of the Siop y Llan village Post Office, the community has largely been left to fend for itself following the floods, which have swept away cars, displaced multiple residents and have caused her business - as well as the Swan and Black Lion pubs - to remain closed.

Ms Cooper said: “After 2012, the last time the floods were really bad, we were assured by Conwy County Borough Council that this would never happen again because of all the work in the village in 2018 and 2019.

“Yet I got a phone call at 7.45am on Sunday to tell the me village was underwater.

“I’ve been told that a team from Natural Resource Wales (NRW) were monitoring the new pipeline, which is supposed to carry the excess water away from a culvert in the village - but we didn’t get any warning.

“If we’d have known, we could have put boards out which could have diverted the water away.”

A spokesperson for NRW said: "Last year NRW completed work to replace and improve the capacity of part of the exiting culvert that runs beneath Water Street in Llanfair Talhaiarn.

The completed work here provided the village with a one in 75 year standard of protection. Throughout storm Ciara, we had operations teams out checking defences and clearing screens including the one on the Nant Barrog in Llanfair TH but, this became overwhelmed by the volume of water and debris that was brought down by the river.

"NRW staff have been on site today assisting with the clear up and investigating what happened and whether there is anything more that can be done to reduce the risk of flooding in future."

Residents were still clearing up debris with the help of the village’s farmers on Monday 10. Both of the village’s pubs and the post office are waiting for loss adjusters to give the greenlight for the businesses to reopen, while Ms Cooper has had several friends left homeless after “losing everything”.

Rhyl Journal:

The Black Lion and Ms Cooper's shop have remained closed since the floods. Picture: Kim Cooper

Ms Cooper added: “It literally carried everything away, a lot of cars were swimming in water and have probably been written off.

“Our county councillor Ifor Lloyd has been busy ever since helping us clear up the mess - thankfully we are one of those villages where everyone works together. I’ve had half a dozen people help sweep out my shop.

“But we’re a small community and we’re all suffering and absolutely disgusted by the lack of response. Nobody from the council has helped us sort out accommodation for the people who have lost everything or even been in touch to see if we’re ok.”

The village has received assistance from fire crews, who were sent with a dinghy to help evacuate residents.

A spokesperson for North Wales Fire and Rescue said: “We were called at 8.21 am to School Lane in Llanfair TH.

“Crews evacuated a female resident from a property to a place of safety.

“We attended the scene with a boat from Deeside as well as two fire crews from Abergele.

“We called a stop to the incident at 3.16pm.”

Conwy County Borough Council has been approached for comment.