Senedd report finds 'critical gaps' in Wales' response to Storms Bert and Darragh

A Senedd committee has concluded that Wales' response to two late-2024 winter storms exposed "critical gaps" in emergency payments, insurance access and mental-health support, and has called for an urgent overhaul of how the country prepares for and recovers from extreme weather.

The cross-party climate change, environment and infrastructure committee said Storms Bert and Darragh battered Wales over a three-week period in November and December 2024, leaving towns such as Pontypridd and parts of Rhondda Cynon Taf extensively flooded and repeating damage in areas still recovering from Storm Dennis in 2020.

The committee heard from residents, councils and charities that emergency grant payments — commonly £500 to households and up to £1,000 in some local authority schemes, with additional support for businesses in certain areas — frequently fell well short of the true costs of damage, disruption and recovery. A British Red Cross survey cited in the report suggested only 5% of those affected by flooding across the UK received financial support from their local council, and just 24% of respondents felt the support they received was adequate.

Robbie Laing, owner of Rob's Furniture in Builth Wells, Powys, told the inquiry he lost an estimated £15,000 in stock, earnings and clean-up costs after his shop was flooded. "It's the weeks and months afterwards trying to get the shop back together — that's the biggest impact — having to close to clean up," he said. Laing said disposal costs for ruined stock fell to him personally in 2024, unlike arrangements after 2020 floods when some councils allowed free access to recycling centres.

Access to insurance was another area where the committee found weaknesses. The report noted that properties built before 2009 generally qualify for flood cover under the UK government's Flood Re scheme, but many residents and small businesses struggled to navigate the system and to secure affordable policies. The committee recommended clearer, more accessible communication from insurers and government bodies so affected people can better understand their rights and options.

Contributors to the inquiry described the mental toll of repeated flooding, with long-term stress and anxiety common among those impacted. The committee said mental health support was not routinely embedded into flood response and recovery and recommended that it be made a standard part of local strategies and delivered through community-based services and partnerships. "The wellbeing of residents must be treated with the same priority as physical infrastructure repair," the report states.

Infrastructure failures were also highlighted. The inquiry found many culverts — the channels that carry water under roads and railways — were poorly maintained, difficult to access and not designed for the increased rainfall intensity associated with climate change. Local authorities cited limited budgets and the fact that culverts often cross public and private land, leaving responsibilities for maintenance unclear. The committee urged the Welsh government to support a national, coordinated approach to culvert management and to clarify responsibilities and funding.

Plaid Cymru Member of the Senedd Llyr Gruffydd, who chairs the committee, said the findings showed that "the current emergency support, insurance coverage, and infrastructure simply do not measure up to the scale of need." He said the committee's 26 recommendations must be implemented without delay to boost resilience against future storms.

Jackie Charlton, cabinet member for a Greener Powys, said she supported the committee's recommendations and called on the Welsh government to ensure local authorities have the resources needed to prepare for and recover from future storms.

The report documents repeated accounts of hardship and unmet needs from residents, charities and councils and stresses that with climate change driving more extreme weather events, policy and operational changes are required to reduce long-term harm. Among the recommended steps are a thorough review of emergency funding so payments reflect real-world costs and support long-term resilience, clearer guidance and assistance for those seeking insurance, mandatory inclusion of mental-health services in flood responses and a national framework for culvert management.

The Welsh government said it had received the committee's report, thanked the committee for its work and was reviewing the recommendations, with a formal response to follow in due course.