THE River Severn has dominated Newtown life since the town's birth.
The growing Powys town had long been the victim of flooding and many of the town's residents will remember the great floods of December 12th and 13th 1964 which made headline news across Britain.
The floods would become part of Newtown legend and passed down to each generation since.
More than two inches of rain had fallen in Newtown in 24 hours and the Severn breached its banks and water soon submerged the town centre and surrounding area.
More than 300 homes and 100 business were flooded as the Severn burst its banks with gas and electricity supplies cut and more than 500 telephones put out of operation.
More than 200 acres of farmland was also drowned.
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Councillor Seymour Roberts manned the pumps for 72 hours with only a four hour break in his role as Sub Fire Officer.
Thousands of pounds were lost with many of the stores stocked ahead of Christmas with further losses avoided thanks to the efforts of many of the town's young people who had carried goods to higher floors as the streets were submerged in muddy waters.
One motorist was reported to have spent six hours on top of his car in a field while a supermarket manager spent the night on top of a fridge while Garry Edwards was born in a house on Broad Street as the floods rose.
His father Roy joked afterward he should have called his son Noah.
James Griffiths, the Secretary of State for Wales, arrived by helicopter and toured the stricken town centre and met with townspeople and traders whose spirit had impressed him.
Offers of help were received from across Britain.
Luxury residential caravans were sent to the town to house the worst affected and later rehoused in Maesyrhandir.
Remarkably the townspeople had rallied together and within a few days much of the damage had been cleared.
Such had been the impact of the floods on the town's mood that many had expressed fears Newtown would have to be abandoned.
The second flood in four years led to much hardship for shopkeepers who could no longer insure their businesses while the town council could not afford to pat for flood defences.
However under the 1965 New Towns Act, Newtown was designated a new town and government funds were made available for a major flood prevention scheme which had seen the course of the river through the town moved.
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