Unsellable homes, families spending Christmas in rented accommodation and retailers fighting to recover losses on tens of thousands of pounds from damaged stock.
This is the reality in Monmouth after devastating floods hit the town just over a month ago.
Many properties were gutted after the deluge, but residents and traders are fighting back and insist, “the town is open for business”.
Despite this positive attitude, there are fears not all businesses will survive, and residents who had insurance have been told it will be months before they can return home.
Amelia Raymond is now ripping out the fixtures, fittings and furniture in her recently renovated home in Monmouth.
When the flood hit, the water was at chest height and took everything downstairs with it.
“We didn’t have any warning, I opened the front door – it was just a river outside, and there was nobody there,” she said.
“The water was above the mantlepiece – that amount of water lifted all of the furniture, everything had been floating.”
Amelia, her husband and four-year-old son are in rented accommodation and this Christmas will be very different.
“We’ve just had to start again really,” she said.
The family do not know when they will be able to return home.
She added: “Because we don’t have insurance it’s down to us.
“Obviously there’s things we can’t do until it dries out fully, the kitchen we can’t put anything in now because it’s still wet – people with insurance have been told six months.”
Amelia said she had no plans to move, but believed it would be hard to sell the house now.
“I think it would be really difficult to sell this house now – I don’t think anyone’s going to be looking to buy on Drybridge Street – but it would be nice to live a little higher,” she said.
But in Monmouth town centre things are improving.
It will take months for some businesses to recover, and there are fears some will not survive.
But retailers such as Jenny Chuter, who owns two businesses in the town, are keen to stress Monmouth “is open for business”.
Jenny’s shops were under water after the flood and she lost £10,000 worth of stock.
“It’s been very difficult, it’s been very tricky, everyone’s lost lots of stock, everyone’s lost lots of work,” she said.
“All the people have lost their homes and belongings – it’s been devastating.”
Jenny said she had worked around the clock to make sure she was open for the crucial Christmas period.
“Christmas is the busiest time for most businesses, retail or not, so it’s come at a very difficult time – we’re trying to tell people that there’s lots still here in Monmouth, so please come and support us,” she said.
Jenny ChuterThe unprecedented deluge on Monmouth saw the River Monnow reach record levels, exceeding those recorded during Storm Dennis in 2020 and Storm Bert in 2024.
The river usually flows at a rate of six tonnes a second but, when the town flooded, that increased to nearly 400 tonnes a second.
Monmouthshire council has introduced Welsh government-funded grants and free parking in the town to try and help businesses recover.
Wendy Harris, 80, will not be able to return to her ground floor flat in the town until the new year.
She lost her car in the flood and had to be rescued by firefighters.
“All my furniture has gone and my car has gone and I can’t get back into my flat until probably the middle of February by the time it’s all sorted,” she said.
Her flat was left with a thick layer of mud, and will take months to dry out.
She is staying with her daughter over the Christmas holidays.
“The response by the people who weren’t flooded has been amazing and the emergency services were just remarkable,” she said.
But like many people in the town, she is resolute and remains positive about the festive period and the future.
“Every time another shop opens I cry because it’s just, yes, we’re nearly there, and I just think it’s fantastic,” she said.
Last month, Monmouth was submerged and subdued, now it is fighting to return to normality and hoping the floods do not return.