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Breaking stories
Wave of anger follows deluge
Local authorities in Cork have admitted they were powerless to prevent the widespread flooding which destroyed homes and businesses across the county in the space of just a few hours yesterday.
By Dan Buckley, Claire O’Sullivan, Conor Ryan, Niall Murray, and Juno McEnroe
As the multimillion-euro clean-up continues, there was anger in communities that were covered under huge swathes of water for the second time in three years. They pointed out there had been regular heavy floods in recent weeks, but on those occasions, drains, and culverts had done their job because they were clear.
Their anger was compounded by the fact that Met Éireann had issued a warning before 5pm on Wednesday advising that heavy rain could lead to localised flooding, and rainfall totals of 30mm-50mm were likely, and could reach up to 70mm.
However, council leaders insisted the extreme downpour meant even the most sophisticated systems could not have dealt with the levels seen.
While Cork City Lord Mayor John Buttimer admitted the local authority was “a bit slow” in communicating the flood risk to the public, the council’s environment director, Jim O’Donovan, pointed out that Cork Airport measured 46mm of rain in two hours.
“The flooding was unexpected,” said Mr O’Donovan. “The objective is to try and keep the drainage system functioning fully and particularly when we had the warning of heavy rain. But it’s just not possible to predict exactly where flooding will arise.”
Cork county manager Martin Riordan said: “It is very hard to deal with a flash flood event which brings 50mm of rain in a three-hour period down on top of you.”
As with 2009, there were certain parts of the city and county that were severely impacted while others experienced little or no inconvenience.
The Cork City suburbs of Douglas, Glanmire, Blackpool, and Ballyvolane, along with the West Cork town of Clonakilty, were the worst affected areas.
The Douglas Village Shopping Centre& was one of the most notable casualties of the deluge after its glass doors broke under the weight of water pressing against them. The centre may be shut for up to a month.
The structural damage to the commercial heart of Clonakilty was also severe, after the River Feagle burst its banks.
Estates, such as Meadowbrook in Glanmire and Park Court in Ballyvolane, were evacuated as the flood waters rose.
Last night, Phil Hogan, the environment minister, said financial aid would be arranged for home owners and businesses affected in the coming days. “There are exceptional payments and exceptional needs which we are working with the Department of Social Protection and Cork County Council to deal with immediately. That [the aid] depends on each individual circumstances but I would encourage people to contact their local social welfare office and they will be able to get the full details to be able to get financial supports they need in order to restore their dwelling to its former glory.”
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