Overnight flash floods brought havoc to parts of Co Down yesterday.The North's Road Service and the Water Service said that freak conditions were responsible for the flooding after 70mls of rain fell in one torrent - more than the average for the whole of July. Parts of counties Armagh and Tyrone were also affected
Shops and homes were flooded and the Fire Service had to take action at Daisy Hill hospital in Newry as fears rose of flooding there.
The city's mayor, Mr Jack Patterson, said emergency procedures were not enough to cope with the deluge. He also said the city also had an antiquated sewerage system in need of investment which was already struggling to cope with the demands of building development in the area.
"The Department of Regional Development have learnt absolutely nothing from the last flooding situation we had in the spring," he alleged, adding that flooding was not a freak occurrence. Home-owners and traders say there have been four cases of flooding in the area over the part 18 months.