City hit by worst floods in six years
A PEDESTRIAN braves the conditions on Rutland Street in Cork city yesterday after water defences were overwhelmed by the combination of a storm surge, high tides, gusting winds and torrential rainfall.
CORK city suffered its worst flooding for over six years as drains and water defences were overwhelmed by the combination of a storm surge, high tides, gusting winds and torrential rainfall.
Flooding was also reported in Bantry, Kinsale, Youghal and eight other county towns as a storm surge and high tides left numerous quayside roads totally impassable.
In Cork city, dozens of traders who had been hoping for bumper sales before closing for six weeks under the Level 5 Covid-19 lockdown were left devastated as flood waters swept past sandbags and doorseals at high tide yesterday morning.
Damage was also caused to dozens of parked cars as low-lying streets resembled fast-flowing rivers.
The repair bill for the tidal flooding is now expected to run to several million euro. The worst of the commercial damage was focused on Oliver Plunkett Street, Winthrop Street, the South Mall, Princes Street and Marlboro Street.
At one point, the flood waters on Pembroke Street and Winthrop Street were so deep that heavy metal beer kegs floated away from outside closed pubs.
Business owners said it once again raised issues over the delay in the €140m Cork flood defence scheme first promised after more than €100m in damage was caused by catastrophic River Lee flooding in 2009.
Cork Chamber of Commerce chief executive Conor Healy said it underlined the critical importance of protecting Cork city centre from tidal flooding.
Junior Minister Patrick O’Donovan, who has responsibility for the Office of Public Works, toured the flood-damaged areas and appealed to opponents of the proposed city flood defence plan not to delay the scheme any further.
“We need to deliver this scheme. We have listened to the objections, we have modified the scheme – it is a good scheme and it is needed to protect Cork city centre.”
Cork City Council official David Joyce said it had been the worst flooding for nearly five years. Vodafone store manager Steve Andrews said it was a cruel blow for traders hoping to secure a final sales surge before shutting for six weeks under the Level 5 controls.
“This was the last thing that anyone needed with the lockdown coming. It is going to cause serious financial hardship for businesses.
“We had expected the place to be absolutely thronged for the next two days before lockdown as people did extra shopping.”
At O’Mahony Jewellers, Steve Kennedy said it was the worst flooding they had endured since 2014. On the South Mall, Brock
Lewin of Badger & Dodo cafe said the sheer scale of the flooding was a major shock.
“Cork City Council had given us sandbags and we had some barriers as well but it doesn’t do much when you see the water flowing like that.”