Storm Chandra: 'I'm watching people be evacuated from their homes'
Eva Osborne
- Status yellow wind warning for all of Ireland in place until 11pm
- Status yellow rain warning for Carlow, Kilkenny, Louth, Wexford, Wicklow, and Waterford until 11pm
- Motorists have been stuck and rescued from flooding, as have householders
- Around 5,500 homes, farms and businesses are currently without power
- Hundreds of schools are shut across the country and around 20 flights have been cancelled at Dublin Airport
4pm
Dublin Airport said strong winds are still affecting flight operations on Tuesday.
Around 20 flights have been cancelled by airlines.
The DAA said it is experiencing strong gusts, as are other airports in the UK and in Europe.
It is advising people who are due to fly on Tuesday to keep in contact with their airline for information.
3:30pm
Irish Rail is monitoring conditions this afternoon and said teams are ready to respond to any disruption.
The line between Enniscorthy and Wexford is closed with bus transfers in place. There are minor delays elsewhere,
Louth County Council has said that weather warnings for the storm should have been upgraded in certain areas.
It is reporting severe localised flooding across the county, while the M1 northbound was closed this morning.
Cathaoirleach of the Council Seán Kelly, thinks a yellow level alert was not enough.
"I think that's why we're seeing a serious issue here. We were remained at a yellow weather warning and maybe they should have considered it to be increased to orange for ourselves given the pure level rainfall we've experienced in the last 24 hours and will expect over the next couple of hours as well," he said.
"And don't forget we've got a high tide this evening again at 5:30pm."
2:30pm
Heavy rain caused by Storm Chandra has led to road closures around the country.
In Wexford, Enniscorthy has been badly affected, while a number of roads in Louth are impassable.
In Dublin, the M50 northbound has reopened after a lengthy closure due to heavy rainfall this morning.
Speaking to Newstalk, Bronagh Gately in Enniscorthy in Wexford said there are people trapped in their homes.
"We are surrounded by water. I'm on Templeshannonn quay at the moment and I'm watching them evacuate people from their homes," she said.
"There are people trapped in apartments. There are people that have no way out. There's no electricity.
"It really is quite bad. A lot of locals are saying it's the worst that they've seen it in a number of years."
Around 5,500 homes, farms, and businesses are without power, mainly in the east.
1pm
Wexford County Council have arrived on Enniscorthy Quay Front and have moved the flood markers as high tide approaches midday. The Riverside Park Hotel and Leisure Club has suffered serious flooding so far with its spa area in several feet of water.
Members of the public are being evacuated from their homes and businesses along the quay area of the town by emergency services.
In Dublin, the M50 northbound is closed between Junction 16 Cherrywood and Junction 12 Firhouse due to bad flooding, while bus and DART services are also running with delays.
Meteorologist with Met Éireann, Aoife Kealy, said Tuesday's rainfall had a more significant impact due to wet weather in the past few days.
"The big thing is, of course, the accumulations," she said.
"While they may just have been within that yellow level threshold within our standards for warnings, as I said, it's the proceeding conditions that have had such a large impact on conditions, particularly across the east and south east of the country."
Communities in South Dublin have said they are in “shock” at the level of damage caused by Storm Chandra.
It is leading to renewed calls for more targeted weather warnings and for drainage systems to be improved.
11:45am
Motorists have been taken to safety after becoming trapped in floods in multiple areas in Dublin.
Dublin Fire Brigade has helped people in Hunters Wood, Knocklyon, Dodder Park Road, and Rathfarnham.
There are also reports of floods on roads across South Dublin.
A spokesperson for Dublin Fire Brigade said they are currently prioritising calls where a person's life is at risk.
The ESB said around 20,000 homes, farms and businesses are currently without power.
Iarnrod Eireann said there are disruptions to Dart services and a number of ferry sailings have been cancelled between Dublin and Holyhead.
Dublin Airport said flight cancellations are possible.
Dublin City Council said rainfall in parts of the city exceeded 33mm since midnight, which is substantially higher than forecast.
Flood Response staff have been active across since around 3am this morning, in response to the significant rainfall.
The council is urging motorists to drive with extreme care as a large number of roads are experiencing surface flooding.
The Riverside Park Hotel and Leisure Club in Enniscorthy has been completely shut down due to flooding.
In a statement hotel management said that they need to close the hotel today and Wednesday.
Parts of Aughrim village in Co Wicklow have been hit badly with householders trapped in their homes.
The river Aughrim has burst its banks and householders who live beside that area are finding it difficult to get to safety.
Earlier
Parts of Wexford and Waterford have been hit badly by flooding as Strom Chandra hits Ireland.
In Enniscorthy, the River Slaney has burst its banks in Enniscorthy with the Promenade, Island Road and Shannon Quay closed to traffic.
Sandbags are being deployed across the town.
It is feared that there is worse to come as high tide is expected around 11.30am.
Senator Cathal Byrne is urging the public to follow all advice from gardaí, Wexford County Council and emergency services to avoid the area.
Senator Byrne criticised the lack of a flood relief scheme for the town as it once again hit with flooding.
“It is beyond scandalous that yet again our Town is under flooding.
"I again call for the Enniscorthy Flood Defense Scheme to be delivered for the town without delay,” he said.
The council has said that routes currently closed due to flooding include the N80 Bunclody, Clohamon, Enniscorthy Quays and is urging motorists to use alternative routes which are signposted.
As of 8am, gardaí in Wexford are warning that “due to heavy rain and high tides, there are numerous issues of flooding and surface water on roads throughout the county”.
Waterford City and County Council said that with persistent rainfall and strong winds flood defence barriers have been activated in Waterford city.
The situation in Passage East and Tramore Promenade is being monitored and flood defence barriers will be activated if required.
The following car parks in Dungarvan, Co Waterford are also at risk of flooding and are closed since 7am; Davitt’s Quay, The Pond, The Lookout and Castle Street Carpark.
M50 problems
Sean O’Neill, director of corporate communications at Transport Infrastructure Ireland is urging people to consider working from home today as Storm Chandra has caused significant problems on main routes such as the M50 in Dublin.
At present there is only one lane open on the M50 between the Firhouse and Dundrum junctions following a collision.
“We ask everyone who needs to use that section of the M50 to please, if they can, delay their journey, take some time at home, talk to your employer. It's just not going to be productive time spent. We have crews on site, we're dealing with the incident, but I do not have a time yet on when the issue will be resolved,” he told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.
“Additionally, in the village of Kilmacanogue, there's significant flooding into and around Junction 8 on the N11, so again we ask people to please delay their journey this morning if they can, because there is significant traffic disruption right now.”
Mr O’Neill said it would take time to resolve these “significant” events. “So we do ask people to please think about their commute this morning and maybe delaying it if they can because you're not going to be going anywhere fast.”
Additional reporting PA, Sarah Slater, James Cox, Vivienne Clarke.
