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After the deluge...
03.11.09
Flooded residents call
in Coast Guard
by Linda McGrory
THEIR usual missions generally involve rescues at
sea but Greencastle Coast Guard were thanked
yesterday for rushing to the aid of stricken local
residents under siege from weekend flooding.
The residents of St Peter's Park, St Paul's Park and
the Páirc Uí Nualláin estate in Greencastle were
besieged by flooding on Sunday after torrential rain
battered the area for nearly 18 hours. And they
expressed their anger and frustration at Donegal
County Council as they cleaned up after the deluge. |
Residents' committee chairman, Paddy Doherty, who
speaks for all three estates, yesterday appealed to
the local authority to help them.
"We've had this problem for a good while and we had
a Council engineer out with us before. We formed our
residents' committee so that we could speak to the
Council with one voice," said Mr Doherty.
"The Council has to listen to our plight because we
are under siege every time we get a bit of wet
weather. There was also raw sewage floating about
everywhere yesterday and the smell is still there
today," added Mr Doherty. |
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Torrential rain fell
from the early hours of Sunday morning until late
evening, leaving some parts of the three estates and
the main road under two-feet of water. Several lawns
were completely flooded, costly brick paving churned
up while the roads through their estates were left
badly pot-holed. |
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A couple living in a ground-floor
flat watched in horror as the water levels rose to
their window sill.
Mr Doherty described how he rang Cllr Martin Farren
from Moville as it became apparent on Sunday that
the puddles were turning into deep pools.
"Martin got the fire brigade to come out to us and
then someone thought about calling the local Coast
Guard. Only for them pumping the water away, God
knows what shape our houses would be in today. We
were very grateful to everyone who helped us out,"
added Mr Doherty. Cllr Farren was back on the scene
yesterday surveying the damage in a bid to help the
committee with their lobbying. Council staff were
also on-site working to clear a flooded septic tank
while their colleagues in the Roads Section are
expected this morning.
The residents claim the flooding worsened following
the construction of the newest estate, Páirc Uí
Nualláin, several years ago. Meanwhile, they are
asking the Council to improve the pipe
infrastructure and storm drainage to allow water get
away properly when it flows from the higher ground.
Mr Doherty said people living in St Peter's, St
Paul's and Páirc Uí Nualláin have been forced to
become avid weather watchers. "I think the forecast
is for more heavy rain so we can only hope we'll be
alright," he said. For more photos of the
Greencastle flooding
click here . |
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