Parents forced to shield their children from rainfall due to lingering memories of shocking disaster: 'How can you physically keep living like that?'
Children in flood-hit Welsh communities are so traumatized by repeated flooding that parents must close curtains and turn up TVs when it rains to prevent panic attacks, reported the BBC.
Storm Bert devastated communities in Rhondda Cynon Taf last November, flooding 438 properties and causing £8 million (around $10.7 million) in infrastructure damage. This follows similar devastating floods in 2020, creating a cycle of trauma for residents.
Sharon Elward, who organizes Pontypridd Foodbank, notes mental health issues are "skyrocketing" as people live in constant fear.
"How can you physically keep living like that? Moving furniture and cabinets upstairs whenever there's a warning ... it's just not realistic," she said.
Parents now hide rainfall from traumatized children. Colin Fenn, an 83-year-old Pontypridd resident whose home has flooded twice, describes the emotional toll simply: "The worst thing of all is the trauma, the mental effect. Waiting, wondering if it's going to get flooded again."
When you experience your home being flooded multiple times, you can develop a heightened state of anxiety that affects your daily life. Parents in these communities say they must now manage their children's symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder whenever rain appears.
This environmental crisis also creates economic hardship, with businesses like the Rheola Hotel suffering up to £80,000 in damages (around $107,500) across three floods in five years.
The situation highlights how climate-related disasters aren't just environmental problems but profound mental health crises that affect entire communities. If you constantly watch river levels and worry about the next storm, normal life becomes impossible.
Local organizations like Pontypridd Foodbank have created drop-in sessions for flood victims to share experiences and access support. These sessions help people feel heard after being "thrown from pillar to post" between various agencies, per the BBC.
Rhondda Cynon Taf council has invested over £100 million (around $134.4 million) in flood protection since Storm Dennis, which prevented flooding to an estimated 2,269 properties during Storm Bert. Meanwhile, Natural Resources Wales has reduced the trigger level at which flood warnings are issued on the River Taff at Pontypridd, giving residents more time to prepare.
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Wales' National Infrastructure Commission has recommended creating a new flooding commissioner role to improve coordination between agencies and better engage communities in decisions about flood management.
The Welsh government has set aside record funding of £75 million (around $100.8 million) for flood programs this year, which will protect more than 45,000 homes across the country.
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