Cowen: Flooding will get worse before improving

Taoiseach Brian Cowen tonight gave a stark warning to flood ravaged communities across Ireland – it will get worse before it gets better.

As energy chiefs attempted to ease pressure upstream on the Shannon without inundating homes downstream, Mr Cowen said further days of misery were on the way.

“It’s expected that the levels in the Shannon will continue to rise over the next few days, adding to the problems,” the Taoiseach said.

“This is an ongoing emergency and while everything that can be done is being done, I expect conditions in certain areas to get worse before they get better.”

Waterways Ireland confirmed the worst fears with large parts of the Shannon and canals from Leitrim to Lough Derg at record heights.

Gauges in Athlone showed levels at 39.2m, a half metre over the previous record, and leaving only 10cm between water either side of the lock.

Lough Ree was almost 40cm above the record height at 39.5m.

Gauges on Lough Allen were reported at 4.28m, 30cm above the record from 2000 which saw the biggest flood in 40 years.

“We are now exceeding all known records,” a spokeswoman for the agency said.

And engineers, who predicted peak water levels would hit today, warned they may not be able to accurately gauge when highest levels will strike.

The ESB said it will not increase flows over the Parteen Weir but the already high volumes have flooded homes on the lower Shannon.

Water levels are expected to rise three inches.

A spokesman for Limerick and Clare councils warned: “Everywhere remains on flood alert.”

Communities across south Galway braced themselves for increasing water levels warning that the region acted like a bowl sucking in rainfall run-off from surrounding hills. It takes several days for the full impact to be felt.

The Taoiseach will visit flood affected areas in the Midlands in Offaly and Westmeath tomorrow.

Mr Cowen urged vigilance and said assistance must continue to be provided to the devastated areas, including shelter and water to those without supply.

Government diplomats in Brussels were lobbying EU chiefs to secure funding for those hit by the flooding.

Mr Cowen also accepted the €10m humanitarian package announced yesterday would not be enough.

Some 600 flood-struck homes have been evacuated across the country, including around 90 in the Athlone area last night.

Defence Minister Willie O’Dea said residents in the area around the Weir have been fully informed about the plans.

Environment Minister John Gormley said it was too early to blame the devastating floods on bad planning.

“I think over the years we’ve ignored good planning advice, we’ve zoned in areas that should not have been zoned and those lessons have been learnt,” Mr Gormley said.

“But to what extent you can put it down to bad planning at this stage is very difficult to gauge, because we need to make that assessment.”