'Worst floods yet to come' along river Shannon

The worst floods along the river Shannon are yet to come as water levels rise the National Coordination Group has warned.

By Elaine Loughlin

The worst floods along the river Shannon are yet to come as water level rise the National Coordination Group has warned.

Sean Hogan, chair of group, which met this morning, said properties along the Shannon still remain under threat of flooding as waters continue to surge.

Gages all along the river have recorded increases in the last 24 hours with the largest rise in water levels at Athlone, 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.

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

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

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

He said: “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 they rain from last weekend continues to make its way down the country to drain out to the sea in Limerick.

“Unfortunately we have seen as the waters keep rising and the floods keep rising and with sand bagging still not able to protect all properties and the water seeps around unfortunately properties still remain under threat,” he said.

He said that details of a €5million package for businesses that have suffered damage to their property in the current flooding are now being finalised.

“A group of officials are meeting to establish the criteria under which this scheme will be administered. Discussions are taking place also with Irish Red Cross who will administer the scheme with a view to it being up and running as quickly as possible.”

The IFA have said that farmers must be included in this fund.

IFA Flood Project Chairman Tom Turley said farm businesses have been severely affected and have suffered financial losses and they deserve the same treatment as businesses in urban areas.