CORK: Trawlers raced for the safety of ports along the south coast and ESB crews worked non-stop throughout the day yesterday to restore power to some 6,000 consumers in the south-west as hurricane force winds and incessant rain brought chaos to the region.
Trees uprooted in the gales which heralded the arrival of spring left many roads in Cork and Kerry impassable.
Power lines were brought down throughout both counties and floods in Cork city centre led to early morning gridlock as thousands of people tried to get to work.
The south-westerly gales which coincided with high tides left parts of many low- lying streets in Cork, including Patrick's Street, under several feet of water.
The South Mall, South Terrace, Oliver Plunkett Street, Princes Street and Cook Street were worst hit but parts of Blackrock and the Carrigrohane Road, one of the main routes out of the city to west Cork and Kerry, remained blocked to traffic for most of the day.
The Lee overflowed its banks leading to widespread flooding in many parts of the Lee Valley. Gardaí said detours were in operation at several points around the city but by late afternoon most of the inner roads were open to traffic once again.
The Mallow town park was flooded by 6 p.m. yesterday but fears of the type of flooding, which has crippled the town in the past, did not materialise.
The gales left a trail of destruction that stretched from Bandon to Bantry in west Cork and from Carrigtwohill to Whitegate in the east of the county.
Fallen trees were the major problem, and a massive clean- up operation by Cork County Council workers was necessary before ESB repair crews could begin restoring power.
At one stage, 3,000 consumers in Cork city and county were without power, and a further 3,000 consumers in Kerry were affected. Wind blown debris also caused power cuts but apart from a few isolated areas, service was restored everywhere in both counties by 7 p.m., the ESB said.
All around the south coast, fishermen tried to escape the worst of the gales by making for port overnight. By yesterday morning, hundreds of trawlers were tied up at the Cork city quays and in ports and inlets from Crosshaven to Castletownbere.
Sea walls were breached by huge waves in several port towns, including Bantry, which added to the existing flooding. Gardaí warned that with further gales forecast, the threat of falling trees remained and more flooding on secondary and main roads could be ex- pected. Drivers were urged to exercise extreme caution.
At Cork Airport, a British Airways early morning flight to Manchester was cancelled as was an Aer Lingus flight to Dublin last evening.