Businesses hit out at ESB over opening of dam
Angry business people hit out at the ESB tonight after a dam on the River Lee was opened piling pressure on Cork city’s strained flood defences.
Locals claimed the energy giant issued inadequate warnings before huge volumes of water were released through Inniscarra and Carridadrohid dams.
But the ESB said it gave authorities plenty of notice about the growing risk of a severe floods.
“The situation was managed and controlled but large volumes of water had to be released downstream,” the ESB said.
The Lee in Cork city was already swollen because of the rain and high tides.
The river breached defences beside the Mercy Hospital flattening a wall on the quays and inundating the hospital, University College Cork, dozens of businesses and homes never flooded before.
UCC said: “Fourteen buildings... were badly affected by the flooding which began in the early hours of Friday morning after engineers at the Inniscarra dam allowed a massive volume of water to be released.”
The university also said taxi drivers reported students “swimming” on the Western Road at 5am.
Water pumping stations were switched off because of the risk of contamination by flood waters.
Dr Con Murphy, Cork City GP and medical advisor to the county GAA, said it was the first time his surgery, which was under two feet of water, has been flooded.
“My problem is had I known it was coming I could have helped salvage some of the stuff that was destroyed,” the GP said.
“ESB is fully satisfied that it discharged all its obligations in terms of managing the flood situation at the dams and in notifying the relevant statutory bodies,” the ESB said.
Dr Murphy said he was not warned the ESB planned to open the dam sending massive amounts of water down the swollen Lee.
High tide was also a factor in Cork city last night.
“This came out of the blue for me. I had no idea this was coming. I can absolutely accept the explanation for opening the dam but why we weren’t warned bothers me,” the doctor said.
“This was not a spur of the moment decision by the ESB. I totally understand that they had to do it but the problem I have is that we were not warned they were going to do it.
“Everyone around me was caught on the hop.”
