FLOOD WATERS were beginning to recede in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, last night, but gardaí said a number of roads and bridges in the town were likely to remain impassable for some time.
Heavy downpours on Friday caused the river Suir to burst its banks, and some parts of the town remained submerged in up to a metre of water yesterday.
Stranded residents were evacuated from around 40 properties in the Oldbridge and quay-front areas of Clonmel on boats and Army trucks. A number of commercial properties in the town were badly damaged
Local officials are hopeful that water levels will stabilise in the coming days and that a clean-up can commence.
“We’re pleased the rain has passed and the amount of water in the river has peaked and that we are seeing a reduction,” said the mayor of Clonmel Martin O’Brien.
“Saturday was a very bad day. There were serious concerns about the safety of traffic around the town and about the amount of damaged property. That will be assessed in the next few days once the water clears.”
Clonmel has experienced flooding on several occasions in the last decade, most notably in 2000 and 2004, and an Emergency Flood Response Committee has been established in the town.
Representatives of the Garda, the Civil Defence, the Health Service Executive and the local council sit on the committee, and they have been operating an emergency plan since the threat of flooding emerged following downpours on Thursday.
“We had in the region of 50mm of rain in the period from Thursday night to Saturday morning,” said committee member and town clerk Billy Doyle. “We used weather forecasts, satellite and radar material to extrapolate information which helped us to plan ahead.”
Mr Doyle said the committee focused on protecting vulnerable areas, in particular residential properties, from flood waters, and that around 2,000 sandbags were distributed around the town.
However, a number of business owners were yesterday counting the cost of the damage to their premises at what is a busy period for the town’s hospitality sector with the annual coursing festival set to begin today.
“There was 12 inches of water in our kitchen, toilets and storeroom at one stage. It’s frustrating; we’ve had to stay closed for the last two days, which means loss of earnings,” said Caroline Bonfiglio of Befani’s restaurant on Sarsfield Street.
“I feel sorry for those people who have to go through this time and time again. We can’t get insurance because of how often it happens and because of our location in the town. The same applies to people’s homes, which are affected year in year out.”
The first of three phases of works aimed at developing a flood defence system for Clonmel are under way, and Minister of State at the Office of Public Works Dr Martin Mansergh, who is also a local TD, last night said the defences were a “major priority” and should be completed by the end of next year.
“The capital budget has been cut for certain purposes, but I have given absolute priority to flood relief...The flood budget is not under pressure and I have given assurances that the works will proceed in Clonmel.”
His Fianna Fáil Dáil colleague Mattie McGrath said the flooding was “some of the worst” he had experienced in Clonmel.
He said he was hopeful the flood protection works would prevent similar incidents but he had concerns about the “wisdom” of the project.
“It is very hard to deal with water, and I would have concerns as to where the excess water is going to end up down the line with the tunnelling they are doing in the river.”
Supt Eunan Dolan of the Garda warned the public to stay away from flooded areas and said it was dangerous to wade through flooded streets as people risked becoming trapped in shores.
He said Gas House Bridge had reopened, and that he hoped the four other bridges in Clonmel could reopen in the next couple of days.