Cost of damage to Cork roads from Storm Babet to significantly exceed €50m

Cork County Council will also have to rebuild some bridges which were swept away and build new re-inforced riverside walls in Midleton

Fri, 10 Nov, 2023 - 14:45

Sean O’Riordan

Council engineers have already identified €50m in damage to roads in Co. Cork caused by Storm Babet and the final bill is likely to be far higher, as assessments are still continuing.

In addition, engineers have yet to examine a number of bridges which have been damaged, with some completely swept away. Half the damage was caused to roads in East Cork, with the rest in parts of North Cork and the greater Carrigaline area.

The council will also have to build new re-inforced riverside walls around some housing estates in Midleton which were torn away by flooding.

Dave Clarke, the council’s senior roads engineer for East Cork, said the damage is so severe and widespread in the region that some of the repairs “will take well into next year to complete". He told a meeting of the East Cork Municipal District Council it will be a few weeks before he can provide councillors with a full list of the damage in that area.

He said that the council is “triaging” repairs and that certain projects will have to get priority. Once the final cost is known the local authority will seek government aid to pay for it.

As the clean-up continues in the hardest hit areas of East Cork such as Midleton, Inch, Whitegate and Mogeely, councillors have decided to write to energy companies asking them to provide discounts to the large number of people who will be using dehumidifiers for several weeks to dry out their properties.

It has also emerged that the opening of a section of the greenway from Midleton to Mogeely will not go ahead this year as planned as it was also impacted by the flooding.

Flood waters caused by Storm Babet on the Rochestown road due to blocked drains last month. A mental health helpline has been opened by the HSE for people dealing with the catastrophic effects of the flooding. File picture: Chani Anderson

Meanwhile, a mental health helpline has been opened by the HSE for people dealing with the catastrophic effects of the flooding. People have been phoning to share their distress or experiences and looking for help, according to Cork Kerry Community Healthcare.

Helpline staff can offer guidance on typical responses in high-stress situations as well as directing people to other services if they need longer-term help.

In terms of local health facilities, the Midleton Community Hospital was directly impacted by flooding. Some elderly residents had to move out and have not yet been able to return home. They remain instead at Saint Mary's Health Campus in Gurranabraher with Midleton staff redeployed to help them.

The McAuley Day Centre, on the grounds of the hospital, was also closed but was able to re-open on October 31. Public health nursing clinics, dental services and physiotherapy services have resumed on site.

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The Owenacurra mental health facility was also damaged, with residents who moved out on October 18 still living in accommodation nearby. Across the town three of the six GP practices were affected in some way.

The HSE has advised GPs to apply for Government funding schemes including the Emergency Business Flooding Scheme or the Enhanced Emergency Business Flooding Scheme.

“We wish to again thank An Garda Síochana, Cork County Council, the voluntary emergency services and colleagues from across the HSE for all their assistance,” the HSE said.