Midleton businesses to set up early warning system to prepare for floods

System could potentially give businesses an early warning of about 25 minutes

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

Businesses in Midleton are preparing to take flood mitigation matters into their own hands by setting up a novel early warning system. 

A real-time warning system, inspired by New Zealand’s tsunami alert scheme, is to be set up in the East Cork town to give businesses a better chance to prepare for incoming flooding.

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. 

An orange rainfall warning remained in place for Cork overnight, leaving residents and businesses once again fearing the worst.

Colin James, a digital marketing professional, originally from New Zealand, has decided to create an alert system that businesses can run themselves in Midleton. 

He was “flabbergasted” to realise there was no early warning system in place last October and has now come up with a scheme, using small sensors that are normally in place 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. 

In theory, it will give businesses additional time to move stock and prepare for incoming flood waters.

Five of the monitors have already been installed along the Owenacurra River, with plans for up to 100 devices on other parts of the river and in storm drains around the town.

Mr James is currently trialling the scheme from his back garden and has set up a system connecting the €150 monitors to his own home network.

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

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

He estimates the €15,000 system — which will be paid for by businesses in the town — could potentially give businesses an early warning of about 25 minutes.

The warning would not be based on what weather forecasts indicate but on what is actually happening in real-time inside storm drains and on the rivers.

“When the floods happened, I was flabbergasted that there was no early warning system in place,” Mr James said.

"The system I am working on with help from fellow members of the Midleton Chamber of Commerce would, when up and running, give us about 25 minutes' warning.

“That would be just about enough time to pick stuff up off the floor.” 

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New Zealand has been operating a network of Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami (Dart) buoys since 2019.

The network significantly improved the country’s ability to monitor, detect, and issue warnings about tsunamis.

Like Mr James’ system, the Dart scheme operates through a network of sensors that track changes in sea level.

Also like the Midleton system, the data is real-time data as an event is unfolding.