We took a trip from Waterford to Ardmore last Sunday via the Coast Road and surveyed the aftermath of Storm Frank. Annestown was impassable on Saturday so we avoided the Anne River area, which remained problematic on Sunday.
The road from Kilmeaden to Bonmahon via Kill was clear but one had to take it easy in patches, as some roads still had water streaming in from fields.
Bonmahon remained clear, but had been closed off on Thursday, due to heavy flooding from the Mahon River, where some business there had been flooded.
The caravan park still had a great deal of water in the car park on Sunday; sandbags were positioned on the door of Hayes’s Pub, while boats moored in the river had been moved in the flood with one lifted up onto the grassy bank.
Never before has we seen the Mahon River moving at such pace as it entered the sea at Bonmahon Bridge. Heading for Dungarvan, the Mahon valley was well flooded with many acres of farm land under water; the road between Lemybrien and Carrick-on-Suir was closed twice over the past week.
This area of land leading up to Ballylaneen often sees fields flooded in heavy winter rains but not to this extent.
Flood signs were positioned in some places as the road drops prior to the school and the road had been closed a few days before hand as the river burst over the valley and onto the road.
The situation though is improving.
Waterford City & County Council says that due to less than expected rainfall over the past few days, that the situation ought to improve
Director of Services Paul Daly says the Council can now begin to assess the full extent of the damage to the road network now that the weather is easing.
Outdoor staff teams will be out cleaning and repairing the roads this week and brings things back as close to normal before another storm comes out way. In Tramore, the staff were cleaning the sand off the Prom Road on Monday, for example.
The Tramore Road flooded on December 30th and 31st at Ballindud, where the road had to be closed with motorists using the back road or Butlerstown as alternative. The Cork Road, not for the first in recent weeks, was also closed for a time.
Over at Mount Congreve the road section near Kilmeaden road this had been flooded some days in past week.
Reports on road closure via radio and web site notices did help in assisting the public.
The big success has been how Waterford City’s flood barrier stood up to the pressure of the waters and saved the city’s quays, along with Poleberry, Bath Street and the Park Road.
The Christmas Guillamene Swim was again cancelled on New Year’s Day and postponed to Sunday, January 10th at 11am.
One swimmer, a man from Eastern Europe. had to be rescued off the rocks at the Guillamene on Christmas Day and was given first aid. An onlooker from Australia rescued the swimmer via a life buoy in what was a heavy swell.
