BBC Radio Wales

A Plaid Cymru councillor for Pentre has told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast of the "heart-breaking" floods in her area.

Homes in the village were badly hit in February's flooding and have now been flooded again on Wednesday night.

Councillor Maureen Weaver said: “It was dreadful last night. We don’t know where to go with this.

"We need to get the drains sorted to make sure it can cope with all this rain that we’re having.

“But for the poor people, it’s just so sad."

The clean-up in Rhondda Cynon Taf has an extra challenge this time, as residents also try to maintain social distancing.

Council teams have been busy clearing drains and community centre volunteers were handing out cleaning products as the floodwater subsided.

Buffy Williams at Canolfan Pentre Community Centre said: "It's a nightmare trying to maintain social distancing with the mess.

"Thankfully the police and our PCSOs are coming in to help at the centre today."

Residents in Pentre thanked South Wales Fire and Rescue Service crews and council staff for helping the community deal with the "nightmare" flooding.

The leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf council said the flooding has impacted communities "who have already experienced the devastation of flooding earlier this year",

Councillor Andrew Morgan said: “In response to significant localised flooding, to almost 200 properties across the County Borough, the council has deployed addition resources, to support the local authorities highways crews and to assist the emergency services.

“The flash flooding caused by yesterday evening’s severe thunderstorms, has unfortunately impacted upon communities which have already experienced the devastation of flooding earlier this year.

“We will seek to respond proactively to this situation to support these communities and residents which have been impacted.”

Some residents described the stress of seeing their homes flooded yet again.

Mair Hughes' home in Pentre was badly hit in February's flooding and was flooded again on Wednesday night.

She said facing another clean up was "heartbreaking".

"All the muck again... I was crying," she said.

"With the children in the house as well it's just really bad. Twice in four months."

BBC weather presenter Sabrina Lee shared footage of the flooding in Pentre on Twitter last night.

Help is at hand for those who have been flooded - a community centre is offering mops and buckets to those affected.

The village of Pentre flooded twice during February's Storm Dennis with the cost of the damage estimated at up to £5m.

One Queen Street resident told BBC Wales he was angry at watching his home being flooded again: "I would like to see some of these councillors to live in these houses and go through what we've done.

"I haven't been in this house since February. I've had to go around the corner and live with my daughter."

Image source, Wales News Service

Crews from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service battled "rapid flooding" last night, after receiving more than 50 calls, mostly across Rhondda Cynon Taff.

Nigel Williams is Operations Manager for Rhondda Cynon Taff and Merthyr Tydfil. He was in charge of the operation in Pentre last night.

"Rhondda Cynon Taff and the Pentre area were affected quite badly," he said.

“Our hearts and minds go out to the people who have been affected by flooding, not only on this occasion but perhaps previously as well.

“Our control staff and operational staff worked tirelessly over a very short period.

"It’s the nature of the beast I guess; it’s rapid flooding and by the time we get there with certain residences, the impact of the water can be really really seen.

“Some people were badly affected and obviously there was some structural damage as well caused by the heavy heavy water."

More rain in Pentre this morning will be the last thing that residents here will want after last night's heavy rain.

The sandbags outside so many houses is a sign of what happened here, while skips standing in some streets show that this is a community still getting back on its feet after the severe flooding back in February.

For some, their renovations were finished yesterday just hours before the rain returned, with the flooding seeming to come from nowhere in a matter of minutes.

As the clear up - and the rain - continues, this a community which is definitely searched for answers.

Image source, Wales News Service

A number of households have been forced to flee their homes after being flooded for the third time this year.

Rhondda Cynon Taf council said there had been significant flooding to almost 200 properties in the borough after storms swept across Wales on Wednesday.

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said it spent five hours pumping water out of homes in Pentre.

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We’ll be keeping you updated with the latest developments on the flooding in Rhondda Cynon Taff.