Homeowners brace for further flooding
The ESB released water from the dam yesterday afternoon and are waiting to see what affect this has had on the flood situation down river, before opening up the water shoots at the power station again today.
Arrangements were also being made last night to evacuate five families in the Hampstead Park, Shannon Banks area.
A Limerick council spokesman said: “Exceptional flooding exists along the Shannon – the highest on record – and this requires the ESB to increase the amount of water that must be released at Parteen Weir.”
Energy chiefs at the ESB were forced to open gates yesterday on dams increasing water flow by 10% as they monitored exceptional flooding upstream.
Levels on Lough Derg were the highest ever with Athlone also suffering as the entire Shannon system swelled.
“The amount of water coming in and speed at which it is coming in hasn’t been seen before,” an ESB spokesman said.
“We can’t empty it as fast as it’s filling.”
Limerick city and towns, villages and farms on floodplains downstream from the Parteen weir near the Clare-Tipperary border were expected to bear the brunt.
The Parteen Weir controls water flow into Ardnacrusha power station further downstream.
Councils in Clare, Limerick and North Tipperary and local emergency services have all warned areas from Parteen to Limerick city to expect further floods overnight. The worst-affected areas are expected to be Montpellier and Castleconnell.
The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) has demanded the Government pay out on farm grants after thousands of acres of land along the Shannon, Suck, Lee and Suir were inundated. IFA president Padraig Walshe said farmers have been warning of inadequate drainage and maintenance on rivers.
“The general disruption that has occurred because of the heavy rainfall can be avoided if we get back to the practice of clearing rivers and streams on a regular basis,” Mr Walshe said.
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