Midleton flood alert system records highest levels since launch amid rising river concerns

Midleton’s AI-driven early warning system recorded its highest water levels since May, prompting renewed calls for council support

An aerial view of Connolly Street leading up to Midleton Library, on the town's Main Street, during flooding in Storm Babet in October 2023. Picture: Guileen Coast Guard unit.

The first early warning flood alert system of its kind in Ireland recorded its highest readings this morning since it was launched earlier this year.

The Midleton Early Warning System (MEWS) — a free text alert service introduced in Midleton in May — began sending alerts to 5,000 registered users from 10.15am today.

A status yellow rain alert was in place for Cork and Kerry until 2pm today, with localised flooding reported in a many parts of the county across the morning.

The Water Level Alert warned residents that “water levels have exceeded 50% above normal” in the east Cork town’s river, the Owenacurra, and several of its tributaries.

The data came from 17 sensors monitoring river levels, which an AI bot analyses in seconds to calculate flow rates.

Texts are automatically sent with each significant increase beyond a set threshold.

While the first alert reported water levels 50.1% above normal, by 12.33pm they had risen to 53.2%.

However, because the increase occurred gradually over several hours, the system calculated a low flow rate, indicating that although river levels are high, they are not rising rapidly enough to signal a risk of severe flooding.

By 1.30pm today, MEWS had sent around 50,000 text messages.

The system was developed by designer and Midleton businessman Colin James after Storm Babet devastated the town in 2023. It was inspired by New Zealand’s six-year-old tsunami early warning network.

That network, known as Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami (DART) buoys, tracks sea-level changes and provides real-time data as events unfold.

Mr James managed to launch MEWS as a pilot project within a few months, despite Cork County Council previously dismissing early flood warning systems as unworkable.

He told the Irish Examiner: “The water levels the system detected this morning are the highest since it started in May.

“The texts were automatically sent once the water levels reached 50% more than normal.

“Nothing is an absolute science, but this system does at least provide warnings to all those who subscribe that heavier than normal flooding is happening.

“In this case, while it has caused a lot of concern to people, we are at least satisfied - for now - that the flow rate does not indicate that there is a severe risk of a much wider flooding.

“There is localized flooding and it is important people are aware of what is going on.” 

Mr James said it was now time for the council to revisit its stance on early warning systems.

He said: “The way this is working and has been proved to work should be enough to convince the local council to get involved.

“We haven’t got extensive sensors in drains around Midleton town itself and the system would be so much better if these sensors were in place.

”It is ludicrous that this system has not been adopted by Cork County Council.

“I am aware they dismissed it as unworkable but the people of Midleton have proved it is workable and at a fraction of the sort of costs the council were talking about.” 

Cork County Council has been asked for comment.