River may burst banks again

By Jimmy Woulfe Mid-West Correspondent

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

RESIDENTS were bracing themselves last night as the lower Shannon threatened to burst its banks for a second day and with Co Clare under a severe flood warning.

Co Clare bore the brunt of the latest band of bad weather with downpours threatening to repeat floods.

A flood warning also remained on the lower River Shannon with O’Briensbridge, Clonlara, Westbury and Shannon Banks, which had about 20 homes flooded, all in the firing line.

Mayor of Clare Tony Mulcahy and Mayor of Ennis Frankie Neylon issued a joint statement following the warnings for the town and south-east of the county.

"The situation will get worse before it gets better," they warned.

"It is very likely that areas previously affected by flood waters in recent days will again experience flooding over the coming days."

The Shannon is expected to continue to swell over the next week after flooding hit Athlone further upstream and Met Éireann said heavy bands of rain would cross the country.

Authorities in Galway were also working to reopen 65 roads in the county.

Limerick and its environs were still managing to deflect the worst of the Shannon floods last night as the ESB decided not to increase the release of water from the huge weir at Parteen, which takes in water from the Ardnacrusha power station.

Up to 20 families who were evacuated from their homes in the Shannon Banks suburb on Monday night were accommodated in a city hotel.

The army, civil defence, gardaí and council workers kept piling in sand bags throughout the under-threat neighbourhood.

Extra army personnel were drafted in from Sarsfield Barracks after Defence Minister Willie O’Dea visited the area and spoke with concerned residents.

But with more rain forecast, ESB personnel said they will monitor water levels in Lough Derg as more flooding is expected from the upper reaches of the Shannon.

Cllr Paschal Fitzgerald, who has been to the fore in the huge community effort in Shannon Banks, said it was all about neighbour helping neighbour.

Mr Fitzgerald, who is a member of Clare County Council, said any clean up operation will not start until the ESB reduce the amount of water being released from Parteen Weir. In recent days the amount of water being released has been increased by about 10%.

ESB executive director Michael McNicholas said they were working with the emergency services and local authorities to deal with water levels on the 35km stretch of the Shannon under their control.

This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Wednesday, November 25, 2009