Tragedy needed for flood relief action?

Residents in East Cork have asked if Cork County Council is going to “wait until people are drowned” before it implements urgently needed short-term flood prevention measures.

It follows a recent meeting facilitated by Midleton Chamber of Commerce which left many disappointed by the council’s focus on long-term flood prevention measures which could take years to come to fruition.

The meeting was attended by representatives from Cork County Council, the OPW, and Arup, who are the consulting engineers for Midleton’s proposed flood defence scheme.

Since the devastating flooding of 18 October during Storm Babet, residents in East Cork, and particularly in Midleton, have been crying out for immediate flood prevention measures to be put in place as they live in constant fear of a repeat event.

The day after the flooding, residents confronted an Taoiseach Leo Varadkar as he visited Midleton, calling for answers as to what will be done to prevent further devastation.

A petition has now been created by the Midleton and East Cork Flood Protection Group demanding that immediate action be taken on implementing effective flood protection measures in all East Cork catchments.

Mona Stromsoe, the group's chairperson, said that if the flooding in Midleton in October had happened at night, it almost certainly would have resulted in the loss of life.

“There is a real threat to life,” she said. “During the flood on 18 October 2023, there were some near fatalities. This constitutes a national emergency, underscoring the imperative for immediate interim measures to safeguard lives in our community.”

Ms Stromsoe said that to say the meeting held by Midleton Chamber of Commerce was a disappointment “would be an understatement”.

“There was no mention from Cork County Council about interim measures and all focus was on long term flood defence systems which are 9 years or more in the future,” she said.

According to Ms Stromsoe, there were several good ideas proposed from the floor as short term actions, such as implementing an early warning system for the area and the clearing of the two main rivers, as well as better maintenance of drains. However, she said Cork County Council executives “made excuses” as to why these cannot happen.

“Midleton and East Cork have to wait and hope there is not a repeat of this incident before the long-term flood defence systems are in place,” continued Ms Stromsoe.

She added: “The cost of repairs to people’s properties has been enormous, with estimates of €130k and upwards on some houses.

“This is the damage water and sewerage does to a property. This is not just a bricks and mortar issue.”

Residents are also calling on the Government to address the issue of insurance cover for homeowners and businesses in flood-affected areas where they are being refused cover due to flood risk.

“The costs of restoring homes and businesses are punitive and the Government schemes such as Humanitarian Aid Fund are means tested and not fit for purpose,” said Ms Stromsoe.

“The damage caused by recent floods and the apparent increasing frequency of flooding events is a stark reminder of how urgent this situation is and that we must act now before it is too late again,” she concluded.