Limerick homes flooded twice in a day
A number of homes in Limerick flooded for the second time in 24 hours due to an 8m-high tide on the River Shannon. The river is in flood in recent days due to increased rainfall.
Residents in Mill Rd, Corbally, again swept out about two inches of muddy floodwater from inside their homes, which are located close to the riverbank.
Three houses were flooded around 7am when the tide poured in around them.
The area which is surrounded by the river and a large stream becomes a “small peninsula” when it is hit by flash floods brought on by sudden high-density rainfall.
Pat Lysaght’s home narrowly escaped being flooded for the second consecutive day, however he could only access the property by boat.
Pat and his wife Marie rowed their way to dry land to collect their grandchildren to take them to school this morning.
“This morning we had to go by boat. I had to bring my wife by boat to collect the children for school this morning around 8am and that was around top of the tide.
So we had to go by boat from the garden up the road. It isn’t over yet but I’ll give until Saturday and we should be in the clear. All we can do is our best and try to keep it out.
The Longpavement Rd between Killeely and Parteen was flooded earlier in the day and caused long tailbacks for motorists.
The Abbey River, a tributary of the Shannon, was also in flood, and the deluge which overwhelmed surrounding lands was being pumped away from homes along the Corbally Rd, by Limerick City and County Council.
Upriver, in Springfield, Clonlara, Co Clare, hundreds of acres of farmland and homes continue to be surrounded after floodwater levels rose in recent days, after a brief respite last week.
The area floods during periods of increased rainfall and which forces the ESB, which operates the Parteen Weir, to release increased discharge rates from the dam.
An ESB spokesman said the “discharge rate” from the Weir “remains at 280 cumecs”.
Clare County Council is due to lodge planning shortly to construct a flood defence embankment, sluice gates, and pumping station, to try to alleviate flooding in Springfield where 13 houses come under threat of flooding.
Shirley Mulcahy, whose home is cut off by a mile wide circumference of floodwater, had to cancel respite care for her son Alex for a second consecutive day, as care staff could not reach her home safely.
“I’ve no respite again today. There’s nothing for us on the horizon other than rain,” said the mother of two, who has been travelling in and out of the swamped townland on the back of a neighbour’s tractor.
Clare Civil Defence and Clare County Council continued to liaise with residents whose homes have remained sandbagged for the past three weeks.
