A family has been told they have no home for Christmas after their house was struck by a landslide.
Amy Pierce and her loved ones were woken up by a loud noise earlier this month, which resulted in them fleeing in the night.
Heavy rain near their home in Redbrook, Monmouthshire, on the Welsh-English border led to a burst main, causing the mass waste on November 10.
Severn Trent confirmed an investigation into the matter is ongoing, reports WalesOnline.
Amy said she and her young family haven't been back to their house since.
They have had to buy new clothes and are living with limited items.
Recalling the incident at 4am, she said: "I woke up and thought 'What is that?'.
"The next thing I knew the doorbell went and it was a neighbour saying: 'Quick, get out the house, there is a landslide'.
"So we just sort of grabbed the children and left.
"We didn't see much of the house because it was so dark. It was awful. Trying to wake up my children and tell them that we needed to leave while trying to remain calm was difficult."
Amy explained the landslide has "knocked the back" of the garage, leaving it unstable, as well as pushing through some of the fencing.
She added: "The actual house is okay but they are worried with the back bit being all unstable the whole lot could go."
The mum said she was told work could take 12 to 18 months, with the family currently staying in a B&B as they look for temporary accommodation.
Amy continued: "With Christmas approaching, we are kind of looking for something to rent but who knows? There is nothing out there at the moment in regard to renting.
"I feel that I'm glad we got out but it is overwhelming not knowing where we are going to live – especially with children involved.
"They understand what has happened and that we won't be going home for Christmas – I think they are just remaining hopeful that we will find somewhere eventually for Christmas. We are trying not to stress them."
The family's two dogs have had to be homed elsewhere for the time being.
Amy claimed she hasn't "heard a lot" from Severn Trent. She added that she felt that the family had been "forgotten" while work is being carried out following the landslide.
"It feels like we don't know what is going here," she said. "We are not hearing a lot from Severn Trent. In the beginning the communication was quite good. But by now it feels like we are getting nothing. I feel like they have their work planned but we are forgotten, maybe, even though we are in this awful situation. I know it could be a lot worse but it could be a lot better. What would make this situation better is obviously is have somewhere to live and something to help for Christmas for the children."
In response, however, a spokesperson for Severn Trent acknowledged that it was a "distressing" situation for Amy and the family, but said that it had been in "constant contact" with all affected residents.
They said: “This has clearly been a distressing situation for Ms Pearce and her family however we disagree with some of the claims made regarding the way in which Severn Trent has dealt with this incident.
"We responded to a burst water main in Redbrook on November 10. Despite the burst being in a difficult-to-reach location which required access via offroad buggy it was stopped within 24 hours of being reported. An investigation into the cause of the slippage is currently ongoing.
"Both Severn Trent and our loss adjusters have been in constant contact with all affected residents throughout the process and the matter has been passed to our insurers. This is a complex situation and we appreciate that this is a very distressing circumstance. We will continue to work closely with all parties to find a resolution as quickly as possible."
