Flash flooding causes havoc but worst is yet to come
THE country has suffered flash flooding for a second day – but Met Éireann is warning that the worst is yet to come.
Counties Dublin and Donegal were the worst affected by yesterday’s torrential rain, with up to three feet of water gushing through the doors of a new €20million A&E unit at Letterkenny General Hospital.
The floods forced fire crews to bring sandbags into the hospital on trolleys while off-duty staff rushed back to work to save patient files which became water-logged.
Patients were brought to safety and members of the public were even asked to help clear the floodwater – the result of an hour-long downpour which started at 5pm.
A number of graves were also damaged in the deluge when a 50ft-long wall collapsed, causing a huge deluge of water to sweep into Conwal Cemetery outside Letterkenny.
Several huge pieces of masonry were also thrown more than 100 yards and toppled on to graves. Local priest Fr Éamon Kelly was at the scene to survey the damage yesterday evening.
Several roundabouts were also impassable, while a foot of rain, as well as huge hailstones, fell in several towns including Milford and Lifford.
Dozens of houses were flooded after manhole covers were blown open because of the pressure of the water.
Donegal County Council was forced to deploy staff to several areas in an attempt to open gullies and allow water flow out.
Parts of Dublin also suffered flash flooding after a heavy downpour, shortly after 5pm, causing travel chaos for evening commuters.
Some sections of the city were branded impassable by AA Roadwatch due to the volume of water that f ell during the 30-minute deluge of torrential rain.
The rain was accompanied by flashes of lightning and thunder but Met Éireann has warned the wettest day of the week is yet to come, with more downpours forecast for tomorrow.
The Luas Green Line was again knocked out of action yesterday after overhead lines were hit by lightning – leaving many commuters stranded. The service was only running between St Stephen’s Green and Beechwood after the downpour, but normal service was resumed yesterday evening.
On Thursday morning, the same line was disrupted after a collision between a tram and a truck on Harcourt Street.
Gardaí warned of localised flooding in many parts of the capital, including Templeogue Village, Collins Avenue, Richmond Road, Portobello and Jones’ Road.
Photos were shared online showing the area around Croke Park submerged in water as motorists and cyclists struggled to travel up Collins Avenue while AA Roadwatch described Jones’ Road near the stadium as ‘impassable’ due to the volume of water.