A MAJOR incident has been declared as Storm Bert devastates with raging floodwaters and sparks mass evacuation.
Locals in Pontypridd, South Wales, awoke to find their front gardens underwater and cars completely submerged on the street.
Persistent rainfall overnight saw the River Taff burst its banks and cause chaos in the town.
A major incident has now been declared across several parts of South Wales due to the rapid floodwater.
Businesses have also been affected, including those on Mill Street in Pontypridd.
Fire rescue services are helping residents navigate the dangers and pump water from people’s homes.
One local shared on social media: “The River Taff at Merthyr Vale and Aberfan has burst its banks.
“Residents have been urged not to use roads. Aberfan community centre has been opened for those who have had to evacuate their homes.”
Samantha Price from Cwm told Sky News: “I’ve never seen anything like this in my life.
“We thought the wall would come down.”
Floodwaters have been reported in several towns, including Pontypridd, Ebbw Vale and Aberdare, while more than 100 alerts are in place.
Chris Bryant, the MP for Rhondda and Ogmore, said: “I am deeply saddened to witness the devastation caused by last night’s storm and the severe flooding across our communities.
“The flooding across areas in the Rhondda and Ogmore is unprecedented. I have never seen it on this scale before.
“My team and I are working tirelessly to support those impacted, and I want to assure everyone that the Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, Bridgend County Borough Council and Dwr Cymru teams are doing everything in their power to respond to this crisis.”
Meanwhile in in Cymmer, South Wales, shocking pictures show the destruction another landslide has inflicted.
This comes after five children and five adults had to be rescued from a landslide yesterday.
All ten people were rescued from the house in North Wales.
Photographs shared by Cymmer Fire Station today reveal debris strewn across parts of the A4106, blocking a car.
A spokesperson said: “Crews are currently on scene at a landslide A4106 Bwlch Road from Treorchy to Nantymoel. This road is will be closed until further notice.”
Elsewhere, a mum watched in horror as her 11-month-old baby became trapped inside a car sinking in raging floodwaters.
THE Environment Agency has issued 66 flood warnings were flooding is expected
Storm Bert nearly claimed another life as it wreaked havoc across the UK with 82mph winds, heavy snow and flooding.
The baby’s dad, Andre Randles, had to rescue his son when his Volkswagen hatchback became submerged in West Yorkshire.
The tot’s terrified mum, Paige Newsome, spoke of her terror watching the ordeal unfold.
Storm Bert tragically claimed its first life on Saturday after a tree fell on a car.
A man in his 60s died in Hampshire just before 8.00am after the horror.
Meanwhile, families in Belfast were “trapped inside” their homes as firefighters pumped out flood water, as reported by the BBC.
It comes as the chaos rages on into a second day.
As the Atlantic brings warmer temperatures, snow that covered the north of England and much of Scotland yesterday has begun to melt.
This has sparked 66 red flood warnings in England, meaning flooding is expected, with the Environment Agency warning business owners should “act now”.
Meanwhile, there are more than 200 areas where flooding is possible.
Met Office yellow weather warnings for rain and wind covering large swathes of the country are also in place.
Today there is a yellow weather warning for wind covering the Scottish Highlands from midday until midnight.
A Yellow weather warning for wind is also in place from 11am this morning until 6pm across the whole of Northern Ireland.
In south east England, the same alert is in place from 8am until 9pm, and along the whole of the coastline until 9pm.
There is also a yellow weather warning for rain covering south Wales from 6am until 1pm.
And a second yellow alert for rain in place on the south west coast that came into force at 6am on Saturday and lasts until 11.45pm tonight.
