Last week, in the face of Storm Bert the community spirit in so many of our towns and villages came into its own. I have heard so many tales of neighbours helping each other and looking out for vulnerable residents. The emergency services too were brilliant and I also pay tribute to the many council officers who worked to keep people safe and protect homes from rising flood waters.

While not as severe in many areas as Storm Dennis in 2020, this is little comfort to those who were flooded. Many were taken by surprise by the floodwaters because they rose gradually overnight. Some residents woke up to find they had been flooded or to find that waters were rising precariously outside their property.

Next week, in Monmouthshire’s full council we have a debate recognising the contribution our emergency services and others made to protecting lives and property, but also calling for action. In some areas, flooding was worse because of blocked culverts, surface water drains full of mud or leaves or gullies blocked with hedge cuttings. Too often hedge cuttings aren’t cleared up and drains quickly get blocked up.

In recent years, the council has spent less on maintenance resulting in problems emerging. This was the problem 12 months ago when a culvert in Mitchel Troy collapsed and required weeks of technical work to repair something that could have been avoided with regular maintenance.

Of course there’s a responsibility for us, residents and councillors to report issues as we come across them, but we fully expect the council to have the resources to address these problems as they emerge. In some cases problems need to be dealt with swiftly before they get worse and end up costing taxpayers even more.

More recent floods have been at the end of the winter season, giving residents and the council the whole summer to put things right and prepare for the next winter but we’re still at the very start of winter. The ground is still saturated and there could be more heavy rain before we get to spring, so it’s vital the council takes steps now to reduce the risk of flooding. There are culverts, gullies and drains that need unblocking to allow the flow of water away from properties. If you’re aware of flood prevention work that needs doing in your area, please contact your local councillor and get them on the case.