Midleton flood warning system for businesses to be launched by end of August

Flooding on main street in Midleton last October. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

A flood warning system designed and paid for by businesses in Midleton is due to be launched by the end of the month.

Inspired by New Zealand’s tsunami alert scheme, it has cost more than €20,000 to set up.

It will give businesses enough warning to move cars from the main street and surrounding yards and — ideally — take stock off the floors of their shops.

Hundreds of homes and businesses suffered extensive damage when the East Cork town was hit by floods during last October's Storm Babet, with the sheer volume of rainfall overwhelming the town's drainage system.

Colin James, a digital marketing professional, originally from New Zealand, came up with the system initially and worked on it with designers and local businesses.

It revolves around the use of small sensors normally used to remotely monitor oil levels in storage tanks. The devices can detect when water levels reach a breaching point and they send an alert to people's phones.

About 100 of the devices have been installed along the Owenacurra River and in storm drains around the town.

Mr James initially tried the scheme from his back garden and set up a system connecting the monitors to his own home network.

The businessman, a member of Midleton Chamber of Commerce, said each device was capable of sending an alert when water rises above a certain level.

It was due to be launched in May but the scheme has been extended to cover a wider area.

It will not, however, be used to warn residents because of the legal implications, such as the prospect a member of the public could sue if the system failed to correctly predict flooding.

Mr James said: “We financed it ourselves, because it is part of living in the town. 

“It is very much a reactive system, it is not proactive. It will only give you — realistically — about 20 minutes advance warning.

“It works on the principle that when the water level reaches a certain threshold, the first push notifications go out.

“Then, as the level goes higher, another alert is sent out.

It is going to give you some element of warning to lift things off the floor or potentially get out of town. 

He added: “One issue we had was because the public wanted to be involved in it. Unfortunately, there are a load of issues with regard to legal implications and ramifications, so that has been the biggest stumbling block so far to making it available to the wider public.” 

Some 120 businesses will use it when it eventually goes online.

The alert will be sent to phones, via the Midleton-specific business community resources phone application Town Crier.