'It felt like three months of rain' - Newport library reopens its doors after storm damage to roof
Newport Community Library has officially reopened to residents after flash flooding in the town earlier this week.
Newport's library has reopened after a mighty clean-up operation in the wake of flooding that saw water pouring through the roof and front doors at the premises in High Street.
The sudden downpour on Monday evening saw several homes and businesses battle to keep the rising water at bay.
At around 9pm and in just a matter of minutes, more than 20 calls were placed to the emergency services, with firefighters scrambled to help residents isolate electrics and unblock drains.
The team at Newport Community Library are no strangers to flooding, having closed for more than a week after flooding hit the town at the end of May in 2018. The library closed again in 2024 after a flood from the flat above.
With history not far from their minds, a team was dispatched on Monday evening to assess the damage.
Library manager, Kirsty Finchett, explained: "On Monday evening, about 7.30pm to 9pm, it felt like three months of rain hit Newport in less than a couple of hours. It was incredible really.
"After some discussion with the Newport Town Council team, a few of us went to check The Guildhall, Library and The Hub.
"The library, unfortunately, had a lot of water get in. It came through the front doors and the flat roof, leaving the carpets saturated."
The team turned off the building's electricity and returned in the morning with a plan of action.
Kirsty said: "Once an electrician had deemed the electrics safe on Tuesday, Vortex cleaning came in and sucked up all the water, they also cleaned all the carpets and treated them. They were working until around 9.30pm on Tuesday.
"Every shelf and piece of furniture was moved and cleaned by staff to make sure it was done as thoroughly as possible.
"On Wednesday, the carpets were treated again and library staff were in all day cleaning, emptying dehumidifiers and moving everything back to where it was.
"The great news is we only lost five books and thanks to the fast work of Newport Town Council, there doesn't appear to be any lasting damage - in fact the carpets look cleaner!"
