As we were going to press yesterday (Thursday) afternoon, autumn storms were continuing to rage across Pembrokeshire.

The storms, which have been battering the county for much of the past week or so, have caused chaos, blocking roads, flooding homes and disrupting services.

Last weekend's sporting programme was also decimated, with only a handful of matches going ahead.

As torrential rains and gale force winds have lashed the county, council workmen and emergency services have been kept busy working round the clock to deal with hundreds of calls, from Fishguard in the north to Tenby in the south.

Perhaps the height of the storms was last Friday when gangs of council workmen were on duty throughout the night clearing drains, distributing sandbags and generally helping householders where and when they could.

The council deployed around 2,000 sandbags from its depots in Fishguard, Crymych, Withybush, Templeton and Thornton in Milford Haven, which were all manned throughout the night.

"I'd like to thank our front-line employees who worked extremely hard in enormously trying circumstances," said Clr. Davies.

"Many of them had spent a full day in work on Friday before being sent out in atrocious weather conditions to work alongside the emergency services.

"To get where the help was needed most they had to brave dangerous road conditions. I am very grateful to them for their efforts."

Although the whole county suffered, it was South Pembrokeshire which was worst hit, with several roads closed due to rainwater washing down from fields. Dozens more roads - including the A40 - were passable only with care when the downpour was at its heaviest.

Properties were flooded in Pembroke, Pembroke Dock, Tenby, Llangwm, Hook and Clarbeston Road.

FLOODING CALLS

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service reported receiving a total of 136 flooding calls, including the rescue of 40 persons from vehicles, mainly in the Pembrokshire area, between 4.45 and 9.30 pm on Friday.

Incidents were dealt with at Gumfreston, Lamphey, Stackpole, Hundleton, Pembroke Dock, Tenby, Narberth Bridge, Canaston Bridge and Jeffreyston.

The A40 at Penblewin was blocked, with several cars stuck in flood water, while 12 people were assisted by firefighters after the bus they were travelling in got stuck in floodwater on the A40 at Canaston Bridge.

Later, two males were released from a van stuck in floodwater at Manorbier.

Friday's torrential rain came just 24 hours after the autumnal weather battered South Pembrokeshire.

On Thursday, worst hit areas were Tenby, Penally and Gumfreston.

The main road through Penally was flooded, as was the road at Gumfreston, while there was also large scale surface water at The Clicketts, The Green and The Salterns.

Pembrokeshire County Council had up to 30 staff out dealing with the problems between 3 and 7 pm.

The authority reported that there were no major incidents and said they did not deal with any flooding to properties. Sandbags were only issued to people taking precautions. When the tide went down the situation improved.

Tenby firefighters were called to three incidents in the area - The Norton, Tenby, Penally and on the Army Camp road.

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