Along with the deluge of rain, Storm Bert brought with it a load of misery for residents throughout the south of our country. Monmouthshire suffered many road closures and Skenfrith and Lower Obaston appeared to be the worst hit communities in the county with the local primary school in the latter being flooded.

Elsewhere, the flooding wreaked havoc throughout the former coalfield areas causing millions of pounds worth of damage. Just like Skenfrith, it was a case of history repeating itself as many of the towns and villages affected this time were also washed out during Storm Dennis in 2020. I visited several of the affected areas, including Cwmtillery where a coal tip slid down a mountain and into people’s homes. Even after more than 12 hours of an extensive clean-up job, the inky-black sludge left behind was still several feet deep in places when I managed to get there on Monday afternoon. The previous evening, some residents were evacuated from their homes and put up in hotels for their own safety as the dark river of muck rose outside their front doors.

This was an horrific reminder – if any was needed at all – of the precarious nature of the many communities living in the shadow of a coal tip. It should concentrate government minds in Westminster and Cardiff Bay that time is not on our side if we are to safeguard tens of thousands of people and their homes. Due to the climate crisis, things that were once deemed to be safe and stable, are no longer that. The frequency of these freak storms has meant many people are unable to sleep easy in their homes whenever there is heavy rain.

It was therefore disappointing that the Labour Government in Wales only asked for £25m from Westminster for coal tip remediation in the recent budget. This amount of money is a drop in the ocean of what is needed to safeguard the 350 category C and D tips – the most dangerous classification – that are scattered throughout Wales.

The Labour Government in Wales must learn how to be bolder when asking their party colleagues in Westminster for what Wales is rightfully owed…and they must learn fast.