Inquiry sought of ‘inadequate’ flood warning
Cork City Council officials decided to evacuate a number of flats as a precautionary measure after the collapse of a nearby quay wall.
A city council spokesman said the residents of the flats had been moved to temporary accommodation.
Meanwhile calls have been made for the Environment Minister conduct a high-level review into the “woefully” inadequate warning given to thousands of business and homeowners in Cork before yesterday’s devastating flood.
The call came from Fine Gael TD Bernard Allen last night after one of the worst floods in living memory swamped hundreds of acres of land around the city.
Mr Allen criticised both Cork city and county councils, and the ESB, for failing to issue a proper public warning before the forced release of water from the dam at Inniscarra.
“Nobody disputes the ESB did what they had to do in opening the dam but there was no warning of what was coming for residents and businesses all over the city,” Mr Allen said.
Cork City Council did issue a flood alert on its website on Thursday evening warning of possible flooding on the Carrigrohane Road, The Mardyke, the western suburbs adjoining the river Lee, and the low-lying areas of the city centre. But Mr Allen said the warning was “woefully inadequate”.
“This is simply unacceptable in this day and age. Posting something on a website is an inadequate warning. A coordinated approach is needed making use of all possible communications,” he said.
“As well as via websites the local authorities and ESB should issue warnings through the media, directly to households and businesses through phone, text, email or pager; and also through new media like Facebook and Twitter.
“As well as this good old-fashioned loud hailers and sirens should be used.”
Vast swatches of the city centre remained under several feet of water last night.
Experienced gardaí and army officers, who were involved in rescue operations yesterday, said they have never seen anything as bad. There were no reports of any injuries.
Flood waters usually surge from the harbour and port areas into the city centre, with Oliver Plunkett Street and South Terrace the usual flooding hotspots. These areas escaped relatively lightly due to the city’s new main drainage system.
But after the ESB released water from the Inniscarra dam, the river Lee burst its banks around the Carrigrohane area and flood waters surged into the city.
A portion of the quay wall near the Mercy University Hospital collapsed allowing millions of gallons of water to flow into the city centre.
Businesses and homeowners from Victoria Cross in towards the Grand Parade bore the brunt. The worst affected areas included:
*Carrigrohane Road, the Lee Road and Lee Fields;
*Victoria Cross and the entire length of the Western Road;
*The Mardyke;
*The Grand Parade, North Main Street, Washington Street, Liberty Street and Sheare’s Street, and Dyke Parade and all their side streets;
*Bachelors Quay and Grenville Place.
Western Road-based GP Dr Con Murphy, a medical advisor to the Cork GAA, said it was the first time his surgery, which was under two feet of water, has been flooded.
“My problem is had I known it was coming I could have helped salvage some of the stuff that was destroyed,” he GP said.
“This came out of the blue for me. I can absolutely accept the explanation for opening the dam but why we weren’t warned bothers me. Everyone around me was caught on the hop.”
A tractor and trailer was used to evacuate up to 100 guests from the Kingsley Hotel. Its underground car park was flooded.
The city’s Lee Road waterworks was flooded and shut down. County Hall was flooded and up to 700 civil servants couldn’t get to work. The planned opening of the new County Library had to be cancelled.
Student accommodation at Castlewhite was evacuated and hundreds of students in digs along Western Road had to leave their homes.
Some were reported swimming along Western Road at 5am yesterday.
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