This could sadly happen again as those in denial that sea defenses are needed are demanding that the defense stones be removed for sand.
The truth is that Llandudno needs sea walls putting up or this will happen again and more frequently.
OAN Finch, who was Mayor of Llandudno in 1993, and her husband Jack Finch - who served as Mayor in the 1980s - took part in the dramatic relief effort.
Their daughter, Janet Finch-Saunders - herself a former Mayor of the town and now Assembly Member for Aberconwy - said her parents had been encouraged by the public spirit and determination displayed by Llandudno's residents.
She said: "They were impressed by the spirit of people who had lost everything and in spite of the fact they had all the worries about insurance and the mess.
"But the community spirit really impressed mum and dad - people moving forward and helping out; especially the agencies and the emergency services.”
She added: "It was incredible, and everyone came together - but it was a worrying and devastating time, and it's something we would never want to see happen again."
Llandudno historian John Lawson-Reay lived in Llanrhos at the time of the floods and worked for the BBC.
He said: "I had water coming in from the back of my house and rushing out the front.
"I was trying to keep it from various rooms and brushing it out the front, and I eventually thought 'I better get some filming done.
"I could see a wall had been demolished on Conwy Road - then I went down to Junction and saw it was absolutely flooded.
“Then I went over to Conwy, near Aberconwy School, and there were flats and houses there which had been dreadfully flooded.
“There were people being rescued.
"People across the area were removed from their houses because they had become uninhabitable.
“Some had to leave for weeks or months."
The Llandudno branch of the Credit Union - a cooperative, community-run loans and saving scheme - was established as a direct response to the floods, with people looking to repair their homes and replace their belongings finding high-street banks unwilling to provide them with loans.
Barry Roberts, General Manager of the North Wales Credit Union, joined the Llandudno branch in a bid to help the community.
He said: "It was an initiative to get the community back together. Everyone was having to live in boarding houses and caravans, and lots of people didn't have contents insurance."
He added that the Union was run by volunteers recruited from other community groups, who were keen to help their neighbors.
He added: "It was set up to help the people."
From ...https://www.janetfinchsaunders.org.uk/news/20-years-remembering-llandudno-flood
Comments
Post a Comment
Thank you for your comment