How to get round city floods menace
In 1991 Jack O'Keeffe, then station manager at Inniscarra power station, opened the new bypass at Carrigadrohid station. He said that this new bypass would be capable of coping with any future flood on the Lee and that Inniscarra was already prepared for any such occurrence.
This leaves the ESB prepared for any emergency but what of Cork city?
Will we soon see two metres of water sweeping along the Western Road through Patrick and Oliver Plunkett streets and along the quays?
I think there is a solution. We are fortunate that there is a dam at Inniscarra 30 metres above sea level. From the headrace there we should construct a tunnel wide enough to take the most severe swell and it should extend downstream well below the city.
Sure it would be very expensive, but we have already lost millions to flood damage this year alone. Without wishing to sound apocalyptic I think that city businesses should put pressure on the Government to get cracking before the city is swept away as an early casualty of global warming.
PJ O'Leary
49 Uam Var Avenue
Bishopstown
Cork
