LIMERICK and Clare was put on full alert this week after the river Shannon burst its banks.
With confirmation from the ESB that heightened water levels in Lough Derg are likely to cause increased flood levels downstream of Parteen, the mayor and city manager, have given an assurance that an emergency plan is in place for any eventuality.
Meantime families who were evacuated from Corbally to the Jury’s Inn are still uncertain when they will be able to return to their homes.
“We’re trying to keep things as normal as possible for the children by sending them off to school,” said one resident.
The father of three, one of 20 families evacuated from their homes on Monday, when the rising waters of the Shannon threatened their safety, has no idea when they will be able to return.
The families have a clear view from the hotel windows of the swollen river.
“We hear there are fears of very high tides next week, so nobody knows how soon we will be able to go back, but meantime the hotel staff are terrific, even making school lunches for the children to take with them”.
Another resident said that while she is “dying to get home,” feels fortunate compared to people in other parts of the country.
“No water got into our homes but it was decided to evacuate as our houses in Riverbrook and those in Hampstead, were deemed vulnerable. The seriousness of the situation hit home when the the Civil Defence arrived at 9pm and the families were taken out of Shannon Banks by police escort”.
The consensus among the evacuated Corbally residents is that local councillor, Pascal Fitzgerald, should be nominated for a Person of the Year Award.
“He did Trojan work – was working with the services day and night – he never went home”. Meanwhile Cllr Denis McCarthy is confident that although the water is rising in the Mill Road and the Red Path areas of Corbally, “the situation is holding and the area is well fortified by sandbags”.
While the city’s other vulnerable locations of Clancy Strand, Sir Harry’s Mall and King’s Island have benefited from fortified walls and the installation of tide flex pipes, there is concern that high tides expected next week, combined with south-westerly winds and heavy rainfall, could pose the most serious challenge to-date.
“We will be able to handle anything coming our way this week but next week poses a problem. If Parteen leaves water down the old channel from UL into the Shannon Banks, then we’d have a serious situation- Clare County Council will have to build a wall along the side of the river at Shannon Banks, as with global warming, the water levels will continue to rise,” commented Cllr John Gilligan.
Deputy Jan O’Sullivan is calling for the construction of a protective barrier for the river side of Shannon Banks.
Mayor Kevin Kiely said he has been given the strongest assurance from the city manager, Tom Mackey that he and his staff, have “everything in place, in terms of a plan to deal with any emergency that may arise”.
The ESB has now confirmed that with water levels in Lough Derg now at an all time high, the discharge of water from Parteen Weir is being increased,
“The total rate of water discharge from Parteen is not expected to exceed the rate set on Monday, but it is expected to cause increased flood levels downstream of Parteen Weir by an estimated three inches, as it is discharging into an already flooded area.”
The pedestrian walkways along the Canal are closed and members of the public are advised not to use them until further notice.
