First light on Saturday morning
In spite of some localised surface water and some flooding to agricultural land, compared to north Denbighshire and Yr Wyddgrug/Mold & to its east, it would appear that Rhuthun/Ruthin got off lightly during Storm Babet. Travel was a little hairy in parts. Buses going north, east and south were disrupted.
The new service to Chester on Friday got no farther than Yr Wyddgrug. At least one school shut, more likely because staff were unable to reach it.
The county council's stance on the provision of sandbags continues to be a source of complaint. The county council has widely published that it does not provide sandbags to *individual* dwellings. Sandbags are the responsibility of the owner/occupier. Instead, the county council will sandbag to divert run-off away from multiple properties. This is no different to the majority of councils in the UK. Some do issue sandbags (or, usually, have them available for collection) but expect residents to fill them with their own sand.
This message has been consistent for many years but those who are vulnerable to flooding just as consistently complain that it does little to reduce the worry during times when they feel defenceless. My guess is that issuing multiple sandbags is a drain on the council's resources (pardon the pun) when all hands are dealing with the emergency. It's time-consuming to deliver, fill and seal sandbags. How would it prioritise locations during a countywide alert? And, where would the council stop? An arbitrary cut off could easily mean missed properties and perhaps result in claims. Further, what happens should the sandbags fail? More claims? But you can see why residents of Mwrog Street, Park Road and Borthyn feel aggrieved that they don't get support.
As predicted on Thursday morning, the constructed-just-in-time new barrier was up at the Old Gaol. Properties along Mill Street were also prepared with flood-boards in place. The water at the emerging Mwrog Street culvert at Bridge Services was up to the arch but no further. The Clwyd did not breach (even though there was surface water over a significant slice of Cae Ddol).
And, when everything had calmed down...
