Emergency fund opened for those impacted by Cork flooding

Vehicles pass through flood water on Monahan Road in Cork city yesterday. Picture: Larry Cummins

An emergency fund will be opened to help people affected by the flash floods on Sunday which saw 55mm of rain fall in the space of a few hours in Cork - almost four times the amount forecast.

The flooding has forced the temporary closure of a public library, several businesses, and partially closed a secondary school. The fund, which will be administered by the Irish Red Cross, is expected to be approved by the Cabinet next week.

Similar schemes in the past have made up to €20,000 available to affected individuals. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney, said the fund will help people begin to put their lives back together.

“The flooding has caused considerable distress and anguish to a lot of people. It serves as a reminder of the terrible consequences that flooding can have in Cork city and of the crucial requirement for adequate flooding infrastructure in Cork,” he said.

News of the fund came as the clean-up continued following the monsoon-like downpour on Sunday afternoon during a yellow rainfall warning.

Cork City Council said its crews ensured that the city’s network of trash screens and gullies were all clear before the weather alert period kicked in but said such was the volume and intensity of the downpour, the drainage network struggled to cope.

However, several locals and public representatives said it was clear to them that drains in places were blocked before the downpour.

The library in Glanmire’s Hazelwood shopping centre will remain closed for several days, and Christ King secondary school, in Turner’s Cross, says it can only accommodate Leaving Cert, fifth and third years because of issues with its wastewater system following the flood event.

Other students will be assigned work for completion at home, it told parents.