Storm Francis: Hard-hit business owners plead for flood works to be fast-tracked

Fears enterprises will not survive another flood, as second clean-up in a week gets underway.

Staff Michael Corcoran and Raymond Warner during the clean up of Drinagh Co-Op star in Bantry following severe flooding. Picture: Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision

Businesses owners flooded for the second time in a week have pleaded for emergency works to be fast-tracked to ensure they are protected this winter.

Some said they just will not survive another flood event as they called for financial supports.

Major clean-ups are underway in Bantry and Bandon in West Cork after Storm Francis dumped up to 70mm of rain, overwhelming the town's drainage systems.

In Bantry, a culvert was overwhelmed, swamping up to 50 premises on Main Street, New Street, Barrack Street, The Square, and the quays, and destroying road surfaces.

In Bandon, where an €18m flood relief scheme is underway, the town's combined storm and foul water system just could not cope with the volume of rainfall.

The system, which is being upgraded under a contract overseen by Irish Water, overflowed at Brady’s Lane and at Hickey’s Corner, causing localised flooding on Bridge Street and South Main Street.

Goods are dumped due to water damage during clean up and repairs on New St in Bantry, Co  Cork, after flooding. Picture: Eamonn Farrell/Rollingnews.ie

County council crews and firefighters worked through the night to stem the flow but Diarmaid Murphy, chairman of Bantry Business Association, described the flooding in their town as of "biblical proportions" which swept sandbags away.

“People knew there was going to be some water but we didn’t expect to see rivers flowing down the streets,” Mr Murphy said.

“People came into town and helped out. There was a great community effort. We’ll get through it and we can deal with the aftermath but we need the source of the problem fixed.

“We all know what the problem is. We’ve known for years. We also know what the solution is. It’s time now to get it done, to get on with it."

It is understood that Cork County Council is poised to award tenders for a flood relief scheme for the town within a matter of weeks.

The OPW had to defend its controversial Bandon flood defence scheme again after the second flood in the town in a week.

It said a pumping station installed at Brady’s Lane only kicks in when the river is in flood, when non-return valves in the quays are closed, and excess rainfall on the street cannot drain under gravity to the river.

“Those circumstances were not in play on Monday night,” he said.

“We know that doesn’t cut much ice with people. We fully understand that for those people whose premises have flooded, their view is that flooding is flooding.

“Engineers are acutely aware of the issues, of the systems that need to be upgraded, and that work is ongoing.” 

Staff member of Benson's Charity shop Leah Grobbelear points to the watermark in Bantry,  ollowing severe flooding. Picture: Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision

Con Linehan, of Linehan’s Menswear on South Main St, said the various agencies need to get on with it.

“It’s hard to keep the show going. But I love what I do. I’m in the business for nearly 50-years. It’s all I know,” he said.

“Every brown penny I have I’ve poured into the business. We need help to keep going.

“We are worried about the winter storms. You would have sleepless nights thinking about it. And the emotional stress is terrible.

"They should be working round the clock, at night-time and during weekends, to get the work done."

Flooding also affected Dunmanway, Rosscarbery, Connonagh, Clonakilty, Drimoleague, Leap, Ballydehob, Passage West, and Youghal.

However, there was no further flooding at ‘The Cutting’ in Skibbereen, which was overwhelmed during Storm Ellen last week, or at Rosscarbery where Cork County Council took a number of advance precautionary measures.

Several roads have suffered flood damage, including the Skibbereen to Dunmanway road, the N22 at Macroom and Ballyvourney, and at Halfway House, Kilnamartyra.

'We have to start again. It is heartbreaking'

Exhausted and frustrated, Gearóid Wiseman is counting the cost of the seventh flood since 2008 to swamp his third-generation family business.

Repairs taking place on New St in Bantry, Co  Cork, today after flooding caused by Storm Francis. Picture: Eamonn Farrell/Rollingnews.ie

After a 12-week lockdown closure, painstaking preparations to reopen safely, and a flurry of stock deliveries in recent days, his clothing and footwear shop, Wiseman’s, in Bantry, West Cork, was one of 50 premises in the town which were swamped during Storm Francis when a culvert was overwhelmed.

“All that preparation to reopen after lockdown is gone. We have to start again. It’s just heartbreaking,” he said.

And he issued a strong message to the authorities after the third flood event to hit the region in just over two weeks.

“Bantry is built in a hollow, and everything flows into it but the drains are not fit for purpose and they have done nothing to address that— for years,” he said.

There have been years of inaction and no-one is accountable. If I sell a pair of shoes, and there’s a fault with them, I’m accountable. But when things like this happen, no-one seems to be accountable. They all blame each other.

“I have to come to work to provide a service, nurses did their jobs, teachers are going back to work, we had firefighters and council workers here doing their job during the flood, it’s time now for the engineers and the officials in County Hall to do their job.” 

Social Democrats TD Holly Cairns called for urgent action to prevent a repeat of flooding in the short term, and for a complete overhaul of the State’s "piecemeal" approach to flood relief.

“Local family-run business are fronting the cost of inaction,” she said.

OPW Minister Patrick O’Donovan is due to visit West Cork today, with Minister for Public Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath due to visit tomorrow. (Thursday)