260 homes evacuated, 230 under immediate threat

Households battling rising floodwaters for up to a month are facing a renewed onslaught midweek as floods in some areas top 2009 record levels, with more rain forecast.

That is the view of the National Co-ordination Group which on Sunday estimated 260 homes across the country have now been evacuated, including 14 homes in Kilganey on the south bank of the Suir in Clonmel on Saturday night.

A further 18 apartments were evacuated in Athlone Co Westmeath later on Sunday.

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The flood defence holding back the river Suir, at Clonmel. Photograph: Eric Luke / The Irish Times

The coordination group said 230 homes were under immediate threat and an additional 130 households remain marooned by flooded roads and fields.

The Co-ordination Group said “virtually” all counties have now been affected by flooding since the series of storms began in early December.

Group chairman Keith Leonard warned people returning to work after the Christmas break could expect diversions and curtailments of the railway and bus network.

Gerald Fleming chief forecaster with Met Éireann said “a brief respite” from heavy downpours would be felt across much of the country, with cooler more showery weather.

But he said “another rain event” was forecast for Wednesday night and Thursday morning which “has the potential to bring another significant fall of rain”.

He said because water levels were so high everywhere, “even what we might call a normal weather front” had the potential to cause further flooding. Temperatures were falling to more typical values for the time of year, he said.

OPW spokesman Jim Casey said the upper Shannon catchment at Carrick-on-Shannon had risen by nine centimetres in the previous 48 hours. The middle catchment area at Athlone had risen by 5cm, exceeding the 2009 peak by 1cm.

The lower catchment in the Banagher, Co Offaly area had risen by 4cm but was 3cm below the 2009 peak. Limerick city had seen the river rise by 8cm and was 6cm below its most recent peak on December 13th, 2015.

Mr Casey said the Brosna river, which feeds into the Shannon in Co Offaly, had risen significantly in the last 48 hours and exceeded its 2009 peak by 39cm.

The River Suck which feeds into the Shannon via Ballinasloe in Co Galway had risen 11cm.

Other catchments which have also risen “significantly in the last 48 hours” were the Erne, the Barrow, the Suir , Munster Blackwater and the Bandon.

But he said the river Suir, Munster Blackwater and the Bandon seemed to have “peaked” in the last 48 hours.

Uninhabitable homes

In Cork, several homes in Midleton and Mallow remain uninhabitable as residents attempt to clear up from the damage of floods. The road between Garryvoe Hotel and the beach was still flooded and impassable on Sunday night.

Diversions were also in place in Killeagh as the Killeagh/Castlemartyr road remained closed.

Irish Water says a precautionary boil water notice for 10,000 homes in Cork will remain in place for the coming days.

Traders in Bandon are set to stage a demonstration in Dublin in the coming days over what they view as inadequate action in relation to the town’s flood defences.

Bandon based Fianna Fáil councillor, Margaret Murphy-O’Mahony, likened the delay in the Bandon flood relief scheme as being akin to “a Carry On film.” “Minister Harris was here in December and he said that it would take two to three years to get the scheme up and running. That timeframe just isn’t good enough. He and Alan Kelly need to come to the town. Traders here have been without insurance since 2009. People have shown resilience and have pulled together but something has to happen.”

‘Severe flood situation’

The Sligo to Dublin rail line has been closed between Longford and Carrick-onShannon due to high water levels. Bus transfers are in operation.

While falling, flood levels remained high on the Slaney, the Nore, the Inny and the Moy. He said the country remained “in a severe flood situation”, and pumping would have to continue for days.

Tom Browne of the ESB said water being released over the weir at Parteen would reduce to 470 cubic metres per second today and possibly fall again in the coming days.

He said the Liffey through Co Kildare was “bank full” and in places lapping onto agricultural land.

Brendan McGrath of the City and County Managers’ Association said while there is currently “some stabilisation”, local authorities were “not losing sight of the huge impact on the lives of many people”.

He said the Tipperary flood management group had evacuated 14 homes in the Kilgeany area of Clonmel, an area on the south bank of the Suir, which is Co Waterford. He said many calls for help had been received from almost all counties including Kilkenny, Laois and Cavan.

In Athlone, where residents on the west bank of the river have been battling the floods since December 7th, Westmeath Co Council spokesman Barry Kehoe said six houses would have been evacuated but for additional prevention measures to the rear of homes in Deerpark. He said the apartments were evacuated after flood waters over ran the electricity supply.

Fiona Ward from the Department of Social Protection said funding assistance with clothes, toiletries and B&B accommodation was available and help would be available in future to replace white goods, redecoration and rewiring. Staff have been deployed to the affected areas to help, she said.

Superintendent John Ferris of the Garda Press office said as people returned to college or work after the Christmas break they should expect disruption to road and rail services while potholes and debris would likely be a feature on many roads. He urged those travelling to leave extra time for the journey.