A MAJOR clean-up operation got under way in the Donegal Gaeltacht following flash flooding on Tuesday that caused unprecedented damage.
Heavy rain began to fall in Gaoth Dobhair at around 2pm on Tuesday and torrential rains, lightning and thunder continued until late afternoon.
A mother and daughter had to be rescued from the second storey of their flower business, people were left trapped in their homes, the local Now Doc clinic had to be closed, residents of a nursing home had to be moved to another part of the home and water flooded through a number of factories on a local industrial estate.
The fast-running water caused significant damage to roads. Engineers yesterday estimated that damage to the main roads was about €250,000. A senior engineer with Donegal County Council called on the Government to make monies available to help cover costs.
Eibhlin Ní Dhochartaigh, the florist who escaped the floods in a rescue boat after clambering out of the second storey window of her business with her two-year-old daughter Jean, yesterday spoke of the daring escape. “I am very emotional today. The place is all in such a mess,” she said.
“Water started to come in the door around five. I rang all of my family. I tried to keep the water out but next thing it came flooding in. I think the banks on the river must have gave way.”
She ran upstairs with Jean and waited for the rescue services to arrive. All the switches tripped and the phones went down, leaving her without any communication before the rescue, she said.
“Lamps, cameras and everything were just swimming around in the rising waters,” she said.
“There is a terrible smell inside but everyone is helping me to clean up. Everything was ruined. The weight of the waters pushed the windows through. My car is also ruined.”
Rescue services helped Eibhlin and her daughter out through the window.
Last night an emergency motion was tabled by Fine Gael TD Dinny McGinley in the Dáil amidst calls for an emergency audit to be carried out in the area.
“I am calling for an immediate audit to be carried out in the area to assess the damage,” he said. He called on the Taoiseach to send a Minister to the area this weekend to view the damage. Fianna Fáil MEP Pat the Cope Gallagher called for a special fund to help the local economy.
Three local fire brigades were called to the area and battled the rising water alongside the Cliff and Coastal Rescue Services and the Civil Defence Forces. At one point seven fire brigades were involved. More than 20 houses and about a dozen business premises were damaged. There were two landslides and many bridges have been deemed unsafe.
A member of the emergency services described the scene at Derrybeg business park: “Water was running in the one side of one and straight through out the other side. Suddenly we were inundated with calls.” Fire brigades from neighbouring towns were called in. Up to 20 houses in Gweedore remain cut off due to broken bridges. Overhead lines were damaged and a major water pipe broke yesterday morning leaving the factories on the industrial estate without water.