Sunday, November 22, 2009

Flooding Update From Ennis And County Clare (8.30PM)

Flood response efforts continue across County Clare with local authority staff, Clare County Fire and Rescue, the ESB, the army and Gardai providing 24-hour response to the flooding crisis on the ground.

Clare County Council remains concerned about the flood situation in the county. There has been further heavy rainfall across County Clare today and more rain is forecast before mid-week. Meanwhile, high tide Sunday night is at 10.25PM. Consequently, the emergency response, including the helpline (1890 252943), will continue on a 24-hour basis until further notice. Information is also available on the Clare County Council website www.clarecoco.ie.

A meeting of officials from Clare Local Authorities, the HSE and An Garda Síochána took place this afternoon with some of the 108 individuals who have been evacuated from their homes in Ennis in recent days to review the current situation.

The advice from the Gardai is for motorists to avoid Ennis and should not, unless absolutely necessary, come to Ennis.

Having regard to the present situation and the uncertainty of the impact of overnight weather conditions, the issue of schools opening tomorrow (Monday 23 November 2009) was reviewed. School principals have been issued the following advice:
- Senior exam classes only should attend school on Monday in Ennis
- All other secondary school students should not attend school
- Primary schools in Ennis to remain closed
- In the interest of personal safety students should remain on the premises at lunch-time

In Ennis, Council engineers continue to monitor flood levels. The Gort Road remains closed at the industrial estate until further notice. Efforts by the Emergency Services to alleviate flooding in this area are continuing. Elsewhere, Ennis Town Centre is now flood-free. Monitoring of water levels is ongoing.

An estimated 20,000 sandbags have been deployed at various locations throughout Ennis since Thursday. Further sandbags are available from the Eire Og Clubhouse. The Council appreciates the numerous offers of voluntary assistance it has received and is appealing to local clubs to provide support when requested to do so.

Areas of South East Clare, particularly those located along the lower River Shannon, are priority areas and are the focus of ongoing attention. The army, assisted by Killaloe Fire Brigade, has delivered sandbags to the affected areas.

The Council wishes to remind people to avoid contact with flood waters and to check on any elderly or infirm neighbours. Parents are asked to be particularly vigilant with children. The council also wishes to advise that there has been no deterioration in the quality of the Ennis public water supply and the quality of water is being tested on an ongoing basis.

Latest details in relation to roads affected by flooding:

Ennis Town
• Lees road to Lahinch road is flooded (closed) not passable
• Drumcliffe Road from Lees Road complex to Graveyard is flooded not passable
• The Gort Road Industrial Estate is flooded and the Gort Road is not passable at the industrial estate.
• There is slight flooding in Abbey Street car park.
• Newbridge Road, Ennis closed to vehicular traffic – pedestrian access only
• Bridge at Bank Place open to vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
• Tobartascain closed from Limerick road junction – local access only
• Cusack Lawn, Lahinch Road, Ennis is passable
• Clonroad – Mangan’s to Sutton’s Lighting is open
• Glassan Estate and Claureen Drive, Drumcliffe Road is flooded but passable
• Willow Park and Watery Road passable – local traffic
• Shanaway road to Inch bridge flooded- not passable

Ennis District
• Ennis to Corofin passable by detour after Toonagh
• Spancil Hill - Large flood but passable
• Tulla Road open
• Quin to Latoon Road – passable
• Road between Killone Interchange to Doora Church – closed
• Road between Henchy’s Bar and Lynch’s Cross Closed
• Ennis to Ruan open
• Old road from Quin to Tulla flooded not passable

SHANNON DISTRICT
• All main routes are open to traffic.
• Crowe's shop Sixmilebridge at junction with Cratloe Road, flooded but passable
• Old roads in the back parts Newmarket-on-Fergus are flooded
• Rossmanagher Road Sixmilebridge (L7112) not passable
• Sixmilebridge to Broadford not passable

ENNISTYMON AREA
• Ennis to Ennistymon road now open
• Maurice's Mills road from Corofin Road - Not passable
• Lisdoonvarna to Ballyvaughan Road now open
• Ballyvaughan to Fanore Road now open
• Ruan to Corofin Road- now open
• Corofin to Gort Road not passable at Lough Bunny
• Corofin to Ennistymon Road not passable at Rath Church
• Corofin to Ennis Road not passable at Tierney’s garage - detour in place
• Tubber to Kinvara Road not passable at Lough Bonny
• Tubber to Corofin Road not passable
• Kilnamona is flooded and dangerous with surface water, but passable with caution
• R476 Ennis to Corofin passable with caution at Ryan’s Quarry and at Toonagh (open)
• Carron to Gort closed

KILRUSH DISTRICT
• All roads in Kilrush area now open. Surface water still present on roads, drivers advised to use caution

KILLALOE DISTRICT
• Tulla to Quin Road patches of surface water but passable
• R466 Road from Broadford to Tulla is not passable - Divert take Broadford to Bodyke road go left for O Callaghan's Mills
• Road from Broadford to Sixmilebridge is not passable. Diversions are in place and signposted.

HELPLINE NUMBER 1890 252 943