This winter has already seen more than its fair share of extreme weather events and we’re only a few weeks in. Just a few weeks after Storm Bert, Storm Darragh sparked fears of further extreme flooding. While many of those who were flooded only a few weeks ago avoided flooding on this occasion, the damage caused, particularly by the wind, was certainly severe.

It's in moments of crisis that communities and organisations are tested to breaking point, but also bring out the best in people. Emergency services and council officers worked tirelessly during the storm to help protect people and property. On the Saturday, I was out and about in my own ward and bumped into several teams of council officers who were dealing with emergency road closure notices where trees had come down. Some trees were so big that specialist teams had to brought in to break the trees up so key arterial routes could be cleared.

Some of the teams had been out since the early hours while another team I spoke to had been out until 3am the previous night and then back out on the Saturday morning. With limited resources, council teams were stretched but did all they could to support residents.

In our full council meeting last week, we had the chance to thank all those who helped with three recent crises – Storm Bert, the fire on Frogmore Street in Abergavenny and, most recently, Storm Darragh. All three were examples of our communities at their best, where emergency services and council teams did us proud, while the community spirit of residents in the face of adversity was really admirable. It was a privilege to be able to say thank you, but also to warn of the measures the council needs to take to prepare for future storms and extreme weather events.

So we called on the council’s administration to take a more proactive approach to maintenance of drains, gullies and culverts. Ahead of the storm, too much of the drainage network was partially or wholly blocked and better routine maintenance would have reduced the risks of damage to property. Unfortunately, this motion was defeated. It was frustrating because it wasn’t party political in any way, but designed to get the council to take a more proactive rather than reactive strategy to maintain the drainage network. We’ll keep making our case for the council to be better prepared for future storms.