Storm Babet floods cause extensive damage in Glanmire as residents scramble to protect homes

Engineering firm that was working on flood defences springs into action and helps prevent even more damage in Glanmire

Pumps and sand bags at the ready in Glanmire Co Cork as floods caused by Storm Babet hit on Wednesday. Pictures: Eddie O'Hare

An engineering company which was working on a multi-million euro flood defence project, helped to prevent even more damage in Glanmire as flood waters from Storm Babet threatened to spill downhill into the town centre.

Sorensen Engineering was working on the scheme — promised 11 years ago when Glanmire was badly flooded — when Storm Babet swept across the county, bringing over a month’s rain in a 24-hour period.

With water levels slowly rising, the engineers dug a passage through the old Cork-Dublin road beside a bridge — allowing the water to flow through it and preventing an overflow and deluge to sweep downhill into Hazelwood Centre.

Despite their endeavours, other areas that saw extensive flooding in 2012 and 2015 were hit again yesterday, including the housing estates of Copper Valley Vue, Marwood, Rivergrove and Meadowbrook

Businesses in the Hazelwood/Crestfield shopping centres were also badly affected, while Sarsfield’s Hurling Club saw its pitch completely ruined and extensive damage to its clubhouse.

In Copper Valley Vue, fire brigade crews helped pump water out of houses.

Water pouring across the road in Glanmire Co Cork. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

One resident, Mary ‘Pat’ Barrett, had a flood gate put up on her driveway entrance, but it didn’t prevent water flowing into her home. A number of neighbouring houses were also inundated.

“We were flooded again here in 2015 and we don’t have flood insurance. But I suppose it could be worse, we could be in Gaza,” Ms Barrett said

The ‘New Line’ road (linking Glanmire with Knockraha), a few hundred meters from her home, was like a river, with motorists taking a chance and ending up getting volunteers to push them out, but in some cases too late. Many cars submerged will be write-offs.

Just 20km north, in the village of Rathcormac, more householders who lost flood insurance as a result of previous deluges were again counting the cost.

The Shanowen stream, close to the community centre, burst its banks flooding around 20 properties on the main street and resulting in the closure of what was once the main Cork-Dublin road.

Alys and Zac Lane from Glanmire Co Cork beside the damaged road and flooded Glanmire GAA pitch. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

Claire O’Flynn, who works at Glanmire Community College, was told to rush back as her home was flooding.

However, as most roads in Glanmire were closed off, it took her well over an hour negotiating narrow country boreens to get there.

Fortunately, by then her family had moved furniture upstairs.

Local volunteers came to help sweep out the water.

“We’ve no insurance for this and my flood gate didn’t work either,” she said.

Her neighbour Brazilian-born Flavia Gelzauskas, was also trying to get the putrid smelling water out.

She’s been living there for a year and said that vehicles passing when the road started flooding were moving so fast they pushed waves of water into her property.

Mary Pat Barrett whose house was flooded in Copper Valley View in Glanmire Co Cork. 

Glanmire-based Fianna Fail TD Padraig O’Sullivan praised emergency services and the contractors for the work they’d done.

“Fire brigades, council crews, and Sorensen Civil Engineering Ltd, who are actually the contractors working on the flood relief works, are also helping to use pumping equipment,” he said.

Cork City Council director of operations David Joyce told the Irish Examiner: 

If you look at both Douglas and Togher, which had flood relief schemes installed in the last two years, those locations didn't flood. 

"Glanmire, which was one of the worst affected areas for flooding, has a flood relief scheme that has commenced but unfortunately it wasn't in place as the construction only started the last two months.

"But once that scheme is in place, one would hope that would result in the same impact we had in Douglas and Togher."

"We're hoping that the other schemes that are planned will be delivered as quickly as possible and will protect some of the other areas that flooded."

Schemes in the pipeline include one for Blackpool, funding for which has been approved by the Office of Public Works, Mr Joyce said.