Cork floods - Authorities’ system failed

The downpour early yesterday morning caught many people by surprise, especially in Cork City and county.

Proper warnings should have been issued to homes and businesses. Met Éireann had warned the councils that up to 70mm of rain could be expected.

Very little seemed to have been learned from the devastating floods of 2009. In their aftermath, the local authority promised to improve the flood warning system, but it again failed miserably yesterday.

In this era of mass and instantaneous communication, a system of prompt notification could easily be devised.

In parts of Cork City, people had water in their homes for more than an hour before City Hall activated its emergency plan, but it did not issue a media release for almost eight hours after the downpour began.

The city council did not warn homeowners in low-lying areas. It merely warned 60 traders who signed up to a weather alert email organised by the Cork Business Association. The debacle should act as a warning to people everywhere of the need for a proper and effective system of flood warning.