Flood-hit Glasdir estate in Ruthin gets warning system

Flooding devastated homes on the Glasdir estate in Ruthin last November

A new warning system for a housing estate which suffered serious flooding last year is going live.

About 120 households on the Glasdir estate in Ruthin, Denbighshire, will be entitled to receive the warnings, which can be phone calls, texts or emails.

The homes were overrun when the River Clwyd burst its banks in November 2012.

Work on new flood defences to prevent a repeat is expected to start later this year. A report in September blamed blocked culverts for the flooding.

The service has been set up after Natural Resources Wales (NRW) conducted new flood modelling of the river following last year's event.

Residents from the estate have also used their first-hand experiences to create a plan to help them respond more efficiently to any future floods and to reduce the impact on their homes.

The plan includes important contact numbers, details of vulnerable people on the estate and evacuation points.

Fourteen residents are volunteering as wardens to act as a link between the community, NRW and the emergency services in the event of a flood.

Tim Jones, from NRW said: "People on the Glasdir estate experienced a terrible ordeal last year when their homes flooded, and we hope that the actions we've taken will mean that they are now better prepared should the area be at risk again."

Andrew Lewis, one of the flood wardens, said: "The events of November 2012 can not and will not be forgotten about easily.

"The devastation that was caused to our properties many of which were brand new homes was unbelievable.

"That said residents throughout the last 12 months have been proactive in putting into place measures to minimise the potential risk of anything like this re-occurring."