Businesses in Fermoy and Mallow, Co Cork, were counting the cost yesterday as both towns suffered substantial damage in the second bout of serious flooding in a month. It is estimated the damage could run to hundreds of thousands of pounds as some of the worst storms this year wreaked havoc.
As the cost of the flooding was being calculated, Met Eireann confirmed this autumn had been one of the wettest on record. Rainfall was above normal everywhere and up to 50 per cent higher in many places, according to the Meteorological Office's statistics for September, October and November. Temperatures and sunshine levels, however, were near or above normal.
It had been raining incessantly in Co Cork for most of the week and once again the River Blackwater burst its banks, causing severe damage in Fermoy and Mallow. Despite warnings by Met Eireann and attempts to sandbag vulnerable areas, it took teams of county council and Civil Defence personnel, aided by the Army, to contain the damage.
The main Cork-Fermoy-Dublin road had to be closed for several hours yesterday because of the flooding.
In the Lee catchment area, controlled by the Inniscarra reservoir, water levels reached a critical mass on Thursday evening and at one point water was flowing into the reservoir at 485 tonnes per second.
The Met Office has warned that most parts of Munster could be in for more rain and strong winds over the weekend.
It was the wettest autumn for at least 16 years almost everywhere and the wettest on record at Valentia Observatory, Rosslare, Kilkenny, Birr and Shannon Airport.