Pump work to protect Rhyl homes from 'catastrophe' floods

Council workers joined homeowners during the clean-up in Rhyl in 2013

Work is set to begin on a pump to protect hundreds of flood-hit homes in Rhyl from the tides.

Around 400 residents in east Rhyl were forced to leave their properties when severe storms breached the sea defences in December 2013.

Chaz Moore, whose bungalow was flooded when the sea wall collapsed, said it was a "risk" living in the area.

The third and final phase of £1.1m of improvements by Denbighshire Council is due to start on Tuesday.

Cllr David Smith, of Denbighshire Council, admitted the flooding was a "major catastrophe" and major work had been done to protect properties from a repeat of three years ago.

"It will be a lot safer knowing what we know now, but the one thing that I cannot say, that no one can say, is that it will not happen again," he said.

"It is as safe as we can do it."

Mr Moore, who had only been living in his home for six months when the storms hit, said about 18in of water flooded through his bungalow.

Watching back his home video of the floods, Mr Moore said: "If you listen to the soundtrack, my wife is on the phone to her sister, saying 'we need someone to part the sea for us'.

"We definitely feel safer, we have got to say that, it is a risk living here, but the benefits are great."

The work will involve the construction of a new storm water "outfall" which will pump out the flood water from a holding lagoon at the golf club, channelling it out to sea during low tide.

Fire crews at the scene of the 2013 floods pumping water from flooded streets and properties

More than 200m of sea wall collapsed onto the railway line at Mostyn, Flintshire