Further heavy rain forecast for Ireland after 'worst flooding in memory'

[Pastor Dale Morgan]

*Perilous Times and Global Warming

Further heavy rain forecast for Ireland after 'worst flooding in memory'*

MARIE O'HALLORAN, BARRY ROCHE and LORNA SIGGINS

Sat, Nov 21, 2009
The Irish Times

HOMEOWNERS AND businesses in deluged areas of the south, west and
midlands are bracing themselves for more heavy rains tonight after some
of the worst flooding in living memory.

The full cost of the floods, which left parts of Cork city under water
for the first time in more than 50 years, is likely to be more than €100
million. This would top the record €98 million cost of flooding in
August 2008.

Last night, the Defence Forces said it had increased its relief efforts,
with about 175 soldiers, 24 vehicles, four flat-bottomed boats and well
over 10,000 sandbags deployed in Cork, Bantry, Clonakilty, Clonmel,
Ennis, Ballinasloe and Carlow.

A further 300 soldiers, with vehicles and helicopters, were on stand-by.

The Government held an emergency meeting yesterday in response to what
Taoiseach Brian Cowen described as the “unprecedented flooding”, while
Minister for the Environment John Gormley last night travelled to Cork
to see first-hand the damage caused in the city.

“These are some of the worst floods we have seen in many parts of the
country in living memory and our priority must be to help those people
whose lives and livelihoods have been so badly hit by these events,” Mr
Gormley said.

The Taoiseach said “the immediate priority for Government is to ensure
that shelter is available for those people who have been displaced from
their homes and to arrange for the provision of emergency supplies of
safe drinking water where systems have been damaged.”

Massive damage was caused all along the western approach to Cork city
centre, after flood waters surged, following the release by the ESB of a
large volume of water from Inniscarra Dam eight miles from the city.

The action resulted in a huge wash of water flowing down towards the
city with the north channel of the river bursting through the quay wall
at Grenville Place and flooding the ground floor of the Mercy University
Hospital.

Fears of water pollution have resulted in boil notices being issued in
parts of counties Cork and Galway.

About 18,000 people were without water in Cork city last night because
of damage to a pump house near the River Lee. Water tankers were being
brought in to provide clean water.

Among the worst affected areas were Ballinasloe, Craughwell, Gort,
Claregalway and Athenry in Co Galway, Abbeyknockmoy and Athleague on the
Galway-Roscommon border and Ennis, Co Clare.

In Ballinasloe, hundreds of people were evacuated with the help of the
Defence Forces, Garda Síochána, Civil Defence and volunteers after the
river Suck burst its banks.

People were being put up in hotels and with neighbours and relatives.

As the clean-up costs mount, insurance providers questioned the
continued viability of paying for repeat weather-related claims.
Industry sources said insurance was for “unexpected” events but flooding
in certain areas had become “predictable”.