More floods expected as heavy rain falls on saturated ground

More flooding is expected as heavy rain continues to fall on saturated ground throughout the south and east of Ireland, Met Eireann has said.

Ireland’s meteorological service warned that high river levels and tides are likely to lead to localised flooding, river flooding and difficult travel conditions.

A number of areas of the country have already experienced flooding caused by storms and heavy rain over the last few weeks.

It is understood that on Tuesday the cabinet approved opening the Emergency Humanitarian Flooding Scheme to help small businesses and community, voluntary and sports organisations that have suffered damage.

The Irish Red Cross administers the scheme which provides help for those who have been unable to obtain flood insurance.

Qualifying organisations will be able to access initial funding of up to 5,000 euro, and following that additional funding of up to 20,000 euro.

Ministers and the National Emergency Coordination Group are expected to meet on Tuesday evening to discuss the ongoing issues caused by storms and heavy rainfall over the last few weeks.

Micheal Martin said the country’s flood warning systems needs to change.

The Taoiseach told Newstalk’s Claire Byrne programme that development of a text-based system “is under way” but “will take a lot of work”.

Such an alert system is where “emergency planning is heading”, he said, but it is “some distance” away.

On Monday, Mr Martin visited areas badly hit by flooding in recent weeks including Co Wicklow, and on Tuesday he described what had happened as “quite frightening”.

“This was literally water flowing down the mountains with nowhere else to go,” he said, adding that it took “roads with it” and damaged “a lot of houses and businesses in the process”.

Mr Martin said “funding allocations” need to be planned as flooding events become more likely.

He added that “prevention” is key but said flooding schemes are “complex and they do take time”.

More “short-term work” is needed to tackle flooding, he said, adding that more “nature-based solutions” are needed.

Fire and Flood repair specialist Kevin Kelly said the “devastation” caused by last week’s flooding is different to what he has previously seen.

His team are working on around 100 homes in Aughrim in Co Wicklow, Enniscorthy in County Wexford and Rathfarnham in Dublin city.

In business since 2002, he said: “This flood is not like any other flood before, as in, the force of this flood, the way it came and how fast it came.

“It’s a miracle, miracle, that nobody drowned in it”.

The strength of the flood water also meant it left a lot more “filth and mud and dirt” than usual in people’s homes.

He has described the past week as “mind-boggling”, with his phone constantly ringing from 8am to 11pm at night.

However, he said he has been surprised to find many of the people he has dealt with are “relaxed” about the situation.

“There is a feeling this time that the government are taking care of them,” he said, adding the response has “absolutely” been better than previous incidents.

A status yellow rain warning is in place for Dublin, Louth and Wicklow until 9pm on Tuesday.

Louth County Council has said a number of parts of Drogheda close to the Boyne are flooded and should be avoided.

Sandbags were deployed in Newbridge, Co Kildare, overnight as the river Liffey rose to a high level.

A similar warning was in place earlier on Tuesday in Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Cork, Waterford.

Carlow County Council has said the state of roads there are now “of serious concern”, with a number “significantly damaged” and “impassable”.

It has told motorists not to pass “road closed” signs, to report any issues and travel with care.

Met Eireann said spells of heavy and persistent rainfall will continue through the week, particularly in southern and eastern coastal counties.