WHAT a difference a few hours make!

Last night, as the hard rains fell and storm winds blew, Swan Meadows was lost beneath water after the Gavenny burst its banks and flooded the Monmouth Road and Lower Monk Street.

Today, the excess water has charted its inevitable course to the sea and left in its wake scattered driftwood, assorted flotsam and jetsam, and mounds of silt.

Make of that what you will!

Too much silt in a riverbed can reduce a river’s capacity to hold water, leading to flooding. It can also accumulate in drainage and sewerage systems and cause blockages.

Too little silt can cause severe environmental issues.

The flooding caused by Storm Claudia was largely the result of the River Gavenny, the Cibi Brook and the town’s drainage system being unable to hold the huge amount of water falling from the skies and running off the mountains.

However, the Usk remained relatively stable, and Castle Meadows escaped last night’s deluge relatively unscathed.

What, if anything, are we to deduce from this?

We’ll let the experts decide. But it’s definitely a situation that needs sorting!