Senedd members warned Wales failed to learn lessons from devastating floods in 2020, with serious shortcomings repeated as Storm Bert wrought havoc over the weekend.

Delyth Jewell, Plaid Cymru’s shadow climate change secretary and MS for South Wales East, told the Senedd that hundreds of homes were again hit by flooding, leaving communities in crisis.

She said: “Alongside feelings of anger and fear, there is one of disbelief and horror that this could happen again because so many of the streets and houses affected by this flood were devastated by Storm Dennis just four years ago.

“We were assured then that lessons would be learned but here we are hearing the same accounts of delayed flood warnings, inadequate preparation and preventable damage.”

Ms Jewell, who represents South Wales East, raised concerns about some people receiving flood warnings after water was already in their homes.

"Something surely has gone seriously wrong,” she said. “Flood defences and warning systems clearly didn’t work well enough.”

The Plaid Cymru group’s deputy leader suggested the coaltip slipping in Cwmtillery, Blaenau Gwent, should send shockwaves to Westminster about the funding needed to address risks.

Ms Jewell compared the £25m announced for coaltip safety in last month’s UK budget with the estimated £20m cost of clearing one tip alone at Tylorstown, Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Janet Finch-Saunders, the Conservatives’ shadow climate change secretary, said 80 per cent of the rain normally expected for the whole of November fell in only 48 hours.

Joel James, a fellow Tory, said: “It is now clear the response from the Welsh Government after Storm Dennis was indeed inadequate and there’s been very little learnt.”

In a statement on November 26, Huw Irranca-Davies told the Senedd that Storm Bert shows the reality of what more frequent extreme weather will mean for communities.

He said at least 433 properties were flooded, including 125 in RCT, 90 in Merthyr Tydfil, 50 in Monmouth, 50 in Caerphilly and 15 in Torfaen, with details of the impact still emerging.

Mr Irranca-Davies confirmed grants of between £500 to £1,000 will be available for people affected depending on whether households are insured.