Web audiences turned to our trusted local journalists for live updates on the floods which devastated the centre of Monmouth on Saturday.
The Monmouthshire Beacon website saw high volumes of traffic when a major incident was declared in the Welsh town after severe flooding inundated properties near the river Monnow, causing disruption to transport and power networks.
And colleagues at the Abergavenny Chronicle also updated their local community as flooding hit the nearby town centre.
Digital audiences visited the Beacon live updates and social media channels when four severe flood warnings were put in place for Monmouth and the surrounding area, with the authorities deeming there was a “danger to life”.
With regular updates to a live blog, photos and video published in running updates, the Beacon website saw page impressions at “almost 20 times” the average weekend level during the aftermath of Storm Claudia.
Evacuation nearby
People were rescued from their homes after overnight floods left much of the town, including the Beacon office in Monnow Street, under water. Some had to be evacuated to a nearby library.
A live blog on the Beacon website gave updates from the editorial team including a video from reporter at the scene Grace Price which featured interviews with residents affected by the floods as well as Catherine Fookes, MP for Monmouthshire, and local officials.
The blog, which included news updates from Nick Hartland and Des Pugh, also featured official updates from Gwent Police, the British Red Cross and the emergency services, as well as the Welsh authorities including Natural Resources Wales and utility companies.
Regional editor Liz Davies said: “The team did a brilliant job all weekend under really difficult circumstances with several colleagues and their families personally affected as residents of Monmouth.
“They did an amazing job covering the news as it happened and even joining in with the clean-up operation.
Excellent coverage
“While Monmouth did sterling work, the team in Abergavenny including our colleague in the sales team Andrew Fowler kicked off the weekend with excellent coverage of the heavy flooding in the town on Friday.
“We have launched a TikTok account for the Beacon, which reached 1,000 followers during the weekend as a result of people wanting updates on the flooding.
“We have got plenty planned editorially for the coming week as we support our neighbours while also asking some hard questions about why this happened.”
A crowdfunding page, set up by Monmouth Town Council has been launched to provide financial aid to help Monmouth residents after the devastating flood.
Senior editor Jon Gripton said: “Our strong heritage in trusted community news meant that when news of the floods broke, web audiences kept up to date with what was happening through our updates online for Monmouth and Abergavenny.
Colleagues impacted
“It has been a harrowing experience for all those impacted, including our own people and offices, but the coverage was compassionate, full of information and helped tell the breaking story.
“We are all grateful to the team for their hard work and incredible coverage. Compared to the average Saturday page views for the Beacon website, the floods generated almost 20 times the level, with readers continuing to visit in high numbers on Sunday.
“The live blog was a real success, while the videos and TikTok coverage meant we grew the time people spent on our websites significantly.
“Our ongoing news on the repercussions locally means our trusted content will remain at the heart of the community, providing clear information, regular updates, and a focus on helping residents and businesses recover.”
First published in 1837, the Beacon has had premises in Monmouth ever since. Last year the Beacon moved to 114-116 Monnow Street.