City flood protections are hardly enough

It’s not yet three months since Storm Ophelia swept across the country leaving a path of destruction in its wake, especially in mature forests.

It’s not yet three months since Storm Ophelia swept across the country leaving a path of destruction in its wake, especially in mature forests. 

Early estimates for the Ophelia insurance bill suggest that tropical revolving storm will finally cost something between €800m and €1bn.

That, however, will not concern some of those whose homes or businesses have been flooded in recent days because of the ravages of Storm Eleanor.

Many of those unfortunate people will not have cover as the insurance industry, like all free-market enterprises, is free to reduce its exposure to loss by refusing to offer cover to those in high-risk areas. 

This raises many issues not all of them to do with insurance. One focuses on the flood management proposals for Cork City. The early recurrence of storms of this scale suggest that the proposals for higher quay walls are at best optimistic but hardly a viable solution that will, in the longer term, protect a city built on a bog in the middle of an estuary.

Surely it would be best to do now what seems inevitable — build a tidal barrier downstream of the city?