South Wales was battered by heavy rain just before the recent bank holiday weekend. The intense downpour caused flash floods, affecting the regions of Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Pembrokeshire, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea, Torfaen and Vale of Glamorgan.

According to Wales Online, the South Wales Fire and Rescue service received 115 calls, with incidents also occurring in Penarth in the Vale of Glamorgan and Bettws in Newport.

In Penarth, a family suffered an unfortunate amount of damage as the entire ground floor of their home was destroyed due to a blocked drain that caused a stream of water to pour in through the front door. Home owner Helena Owen said she tried to put the electrical equipment up in high places, but couldn’t act fast enough as the water quickly got higher and higher. She described it as a torrent sweeping through the house and gathering in the back garden. Her husband Lee came home from work to find the kitchen, living room, dining room and the lounge in a state of disorder.

Another resident of Penarth, Tiger McLeod, was also hit by the floods, the BBC reports. Water poured through his house, leaving a huge crack in his wall and causing a garden wall to collapse into his basement.

One lane of the M4 in Newport had to be closed due to the floods, and the BBC also mentions an Asda store in Cwmbran, which had to be evacuated because water came in through its roof and affected the electrics.

Keeping your premiums down

If you have been a victim of the recent floods and are concerned it may happen again, you can take steps to strengthen your flood defences, and keep down premium costs by undertaking the following measures:

• Taking up carpets downstairs and fitting sealed wood or ceramic tiles or concrete
• Install flood skirts or barriers at water entry points, such as doors and airbricks
• Install no-return valves on water outlet pipes
• Check drains regularly for blockages
• Fit water resistant doors and window frames, and re-fit skirting boards or use water resistant sealant on existing doors and windows
• Raise electrical sockets as high as is practical
• Re-plaster walls with waterproof lime plaster and install a chemical damp proof course