The lower reaches of the Afan Valley have frequently flooded, notable are the great tidal wave of 1607 and the disastrous inundation of 1768 when St Mary's Church was severely damaged and Aberavon Bridge swept away. The flood of the 28th September, 1909, affected large areas of the Afan Valley and Aberavon. Shown here is Greenpark Street where the flood damage was substantial and many families were rendered temporarily homeless.