Public warned to brace for more flooding this week

More flooding is expected as heavy rain is forecast to fall on already saturated ground and swollen rivers, the National Emergency Co-ordination Group has warned.

It is urging the public to be alert for flooding saying: “The situation can change very quickly and even small amounts of rain could result in significant impacts in areas where river levels are high and/or where the ground is already saturated.”

It said high spring tides and strong winds could also cause wave overtopping, coastal and estuary flooding.

It met on Tuesday to “prepare for the risk of further flooding this week”.

Experts said departments, agencies and local authorities are “on alert” and working on measures to “mitigate” the impact of the rain that is expected later this week.

It comes as the Government confirmed an expansion of Emergency Humanitarian Flooding Support to help small businesses and community, voluntary and sports organisations that have suffered damage.

The previous limit of 20,000 euro has been expanded to 100,000 euro and the definition of a small business changed to companies with up to 50 employees, up from 20.

Peter Burke, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, said: “This scheme is designed to deliver real financial relief fast, so owners can focus on reopening their doors, protecting jobs and restoring local life.

“Behind every damaged premises is a person, a livelihood and a community depending on them, and our priority is to ensure support arrives quickly and helps businesses get back on their feet.”

The Irish Red Cross administers the scheme and qualifying organisations will be able to access initial funding of up to 5,000 euro within one to two days, with further assistance of up to 100,000 euro available per business or organisation.

In a statement, the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment said the expansion of the scheme was “in recognition of the exceptional levels of damage observed in several areas across the country”.

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

His team is 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.

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.

Met Eireann said spells of heavy and persistent rainfall will continue through the week, particularly in southern and eastern coastal counties and a weather advisory is in place for the whole country until Monday.

A status yellow rain warning is currently in place for Dublin, Louth and Wicklow until 9pm on Tuesday, a similar warning was in place earlier in the day for Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Cork, Waterford.

On Tuesday, Louth County Council said a number of areas of Drogheda close to the Boyne flooded and urged motorists to avoid the area.

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

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.

On Tuesday morning, Micheal Martin said the country’s flood warning systems need 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 also needed.