LAST UPDATE | 23 Oct 2023
FIRE SERVICE AND ground crews have been deployed to multiple locations in the south-east due to flooding amid a Status Orange rainfall warning.
They’ve helped evacuate a school and a small number of homes in parts of the region after some houses were “breached within minutes” by flooding.
Met Éireann’s Orange rain warning is in place for Kilkenny, Waterford and Wexford until 1am. Across 17 other counties, a Status Yellow alert for rain is in place.
In Waterford, one pregnant woman had to be rescued from her home after her estate was hit by rapidly rising waters.
The city has been hit by flooding this afternoon, with river levels and surface water levels pushed up by heavy rain and leaving some routes impassable.
Firefighters had to carry children on their backs during an evacuation of a flooded school in Kilkenny.
Emergency responders from Thomastown and Graiguenamanagh Fire Brigades were called to evacuate St Colmcille’s National School in Inistioge due to flooding in the village.
Waterford City and County Council has notified the public that several roads have been hit by flooding, including the L4076 between Fairybush and Woodstown, which has been closed.
Heavy surface water has also been reported, including on the Cork Road in Waterford city from the RSC to Whitfield roundabout.
In Ferrybank, across the River Suir from Waterford city, one pregnant woman had to be brought to brought to safety by the Fire Service after her home was flooded.
Local councillor Jim Griffin told The Journal that her home in Gyles Quay was “breached within minutes” as she and her husband watched the overflowing stream making its way down the side of their house.
“They never saw the stream as strong in years. Before they knew it was was expanding and expanding, and they closed the doors but it was breached within minutes,” he said.
“The woman had to be taken by emergency services to safety. You had a situation where the flood was reaching the dining room table of what’s a two-storey house – it’s totally flooded.”
The Sinn Féin councillor said an appeal has been made for some people to assist with supplies after the couple’s home was flooded.
“Already there have been tables and chairs offered just to help out, especially in the short term,” he added.
Waterford City and County Council’s ground crews and Waterford Fire Services have been deployed to multiple sites to deal with issues caused by surface water flooding.
The council is advising the public to exercise caution, warning that driving conditions could be hazardous and asking motorists to be conscious of vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists.
There were also reports of flooding in north Wexford, with the village of Craanford a,ong those grappling with flooding.
Meanwhile, back in my local village of Craanford, Co. Wexford, we get to see what a Status Orange impact really means https://t.co/j8aIU20EfX pic.twitter.com/IeuHjh1JcK
— Dr Mary Bourke (@megafloods) October 23, 2023
Elsewhere, 17 counties are under a yellow alert for rain with Met Éireann warning of heavy rain with the chance of thunder, which could cause localised flooding and difficult travel conditions.
Across counties Clare, Cork, Galway, Kerry, Limerick, and Tipperary, this alert is in place until 6pm today.
However, across Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Roscommon, Westmeath and Wicklow, this warning is in place until 1am.
Meanwhile, Gerry Murphy, senior forecaster with Met Éireann, told Morning Ireland that there’s a “very unsettled picture” in store for most in the week ahead.
“Rain will tend to hang over north Leinster and Ulster as we go through this evening and tonight,” said Murphy.
“Then once it clears, showers tomorrow but more rain pushing up from the southwest on Wednesday, some further rain in the south possibly tomorrow night and overall for this week, quite an unsettled picture with more rain on the way.”
Meanwhile, Met Éireann forecasts that a wet week is in store for most of us this week, with only scattered showers tomorrow but heavy and thundery rainfalls in place on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Additional reporting by Diarmuid Pepper and Lauren Boland
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