2 weeks Ago
Householders and businesses will continue to suffer the worst effects of flooding until the State puts in place an early flood warning system, the country's leading independent weather forecaster has said. Alan O'Reilly, who runs Carlow Weather, said if such a system was in place — at a cost of around €9m — people in areas worst hit by the weekend's Storm Bert could have been better prepared. A major clean-up operation is continuing after the storm caused widespread flooding and damage to homes and businesses.
Towns and villages across Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Galway, and Donegal were hardest hit, experiencing torrential flooding. Met Éireann had issued a red weather warning — it's highest alert — for Cork and Galway. Fr Casey's GAA Club at Abbeyfeale, Co Limerick, was hit by flooding overnight during Storm Bert.
Picture: Larry Cummins But Mr O'Relly said an early warning system, delivering specific flood alerts, could have helped people better prepare. "If you know how much rain is falling on upland areas and match that data with existing river water levels, it is possible to get reasonably accurate localised flood predictions," he said. For around the €9m this Government spent on phone pouches, you could set up a national early warning system that could give people warnings between one or two hours ahead "There does not appear to be the political will to create.
.. Neil Michael.
