Communities in fear ahead of worse floods after Storm Desmond

Towns hit by Storm Desmond could be flooded for a second time in a week, while areas which have escaped face flooding in the coming days.

The worst floods along the River Shannon, the Midlands and the south-west, are yet to come as water levels rise the National Co-ordination Group has warned.

Last night, the Shannon burst its banks in Athlone, Co Westmeath, and it is expected up to 100 homes in the area, many of which were flooded in November 2009, could be engulfed by Monday.

Sean Hogan, chair of National Co-ordination Group, said properties along the Shannon from Athlone to Limerick still remain under serious threat of flooding as waters continue to surge.

Yesterday, the Defence Forces and the Red Cross were again out in towns and villages including Ballinasloe, Co Galway, and in the area south of the Parteen Weir on the Limerick/Clare border.

Gauges all along the river have recorded increases in the last 24 hours and levels will not peak until the weekend.

The increasing water levels mean that areas which were not flooded in the immediate aftermath of Storm Desmond are now vulnerable.

There are also fears that Limerick city may flood over the weekend. The ESB has said it will have to increase the flow of water from the Parteen Weir in the coming days, which will also put businesses, including farms, at risk.

“We are looking at severe floods potentially,” Jim Casey of the OPW said.

Although the rains have eased off Met Éireann says heavy rain is due to return over the weekend and this coupled with a spring tide could impact Limerick city.

Forecaster Evelyn Cusack said that on Sunday and into next week “there is a definite high risk of some very windy and wet spells”, which could lead to further flooding.

“There is a chance of some heavy rain in the south of Munster, so we are talking about parts of Kerry, Cork, Waterford and then perhaps on into south Wexford,” she said.

Red Cross national secretary Barry O’Donovan who runs a business in flood-hit Bandon said people are worried their properties may be submerged yet again in the coming days.

“There is a terrible feeling of fear here all the time. Every time there is a heavy shower or prolonged rain, the fear starts, people start talking, particularly the business community and the ‘what ifs’ start,” he said.

Mr Hogan said water levels have stabilised in a number of rivers and are falling in others which flooded over the weekend.

“But we still have one stretch of river that remains at risk and about which we are concerned, that’s the lower and middle Shannon catchment where water levels continue to rise steadily as the rain from last weekend continues to make its way down the country to drain out to the sea in Limerick.

Mr Hogan said that details of a €5m package for businesses which have suffered damage to their property in the current flooding are being finalised.

It is understood that an announcement will be made by Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney on this before tomorrow.