Cork again under flood alert

Cork was bracing itself tonight after council chiefs warned more flood misery could be on the way.

Cork city was one of the worst-hit parts of the country during recent flooding after the River Lee inundated the local hospital, the university and dozens of businesses and homes.

Officials have now issued a tidal flood alert and told residents floods could strike again in low-lying areas tomorrow.

Cork City Council said heavy rain, south easterly winds, low pressure and high tides could combine to cause problems.

Households and businesses were urged to take precautionary measures to protect their property and make sure their premises were secure.

Met Eireann forecaster Gerry Scully described conditions in the area as critically balanced.

“It’s not that we’ll have exceptional rain but the ground is waterlogged and there’s still flooding in places,” he said.

“The net effect could be some problems.”

A state of “civic emergency” in the city since the floods hit has now been called to an end and the supply of mains water has returned to normal.

The Mercy Hospital and University College Cork have also returned to full operation and teaching.

But in Cork and across the country people continue to count the cost of the recent deluge, which saw some of the heaviest rain and worst floods on record.

A €12m flood fund has been put in place by the Government for affected homeowners and businesses nationwide.