Storm Dennis flood family in Monmouthshire saved by farmer

Amy Price said she, her parents, and their two dogs were all trapped in the house for nine hours when Storm Dennis caused the River Usk to burst its banks next to their Llanover home.

"This is the worst it has ever flooded," she said. "The noise it was making was horrendous – it was so scary."

Flood alerts had been put out for the area on Saturday, but nothing could have prepared the family for the extent of that night's rainfall and flooding.

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In the 18 years they have lived there, Ms Price said, the river – 300 yards away – had only flooded badly on two occasions, and the steep banks around their home normally kept any rising water at bay.

But at 3am on Sunday, the Usk burst its banks, and soon after a torrent of muddy water began to gush into the family home.

Storm Dennis floodwater inside Amy Price's family home in Llanover, Monmouthshire. Picture: Amy Price

"By 7.30am it was impossible to get out," Ms Price said. "There was four-and-a-half feet of water in the house, and five feet outside."

The family called the emergency services and huddled upstairs until help could arrive.

"We had no heating, no electricity, no food, and no water," Ms Price said.

Ms Price said Ross Murray and Tom Jones, who run the Llanover estate, were in regular contact and made sure the family were safe.

The family was finally rescued at 4.30pm when local farmer John Young arrived, with his tractor. He had made several attempts to reach the family earlier in the day, Ms Price said, but the water level had been too high.

They all climbed into the tractor's loader bucket and, held above the waterline, were driven to safety by Mr Young.

"I'm really thankful people came to help us," Ms Price said. "I was so scared."

Mr Murray, steward of Llanover estate, praised the "spirit" shown by local residents during the Storm Dennis flooding.

“Yesterday’s floods were unprecedented for our community at Llanover, and sadly three houses were flooded," he said. "Yesterday was a day for reassurance and today the clear up begins.

"Amy Price showed great spirit, as did everyone affected, and the photo of her rescue by her neighbour John Young illustrates that.”

Mr Murray said another home in Llanover had been flooded by Storm Dennis despite escaping the last great deluge to affect the estate.

“Tyr Afon, otherwise known as The Boat House, survived the great flood of 4th December 1960, but this time the water level was a foot higher," he said.

The Boat House in Llanover escaped flooding in 1960. Picture: sent in by Ross Murray

...but wasn't so lucky this time around! Pictures: Ross Murray