A FLOOD of “almost biblical proportions” was how one witness described the damage caused in Co Limerick’s largest town in the early hours of yesterday morning.
Newcastlewest may have been basking in sunshine yesterday in the aftermath of torrential rain, but the sunshine showed the full extent of the devastation caused when the Arra river burst its banks. Local people say it was the worst flooding in the living history of the town, while the cost of the damage to homes and businesses is expected to run into millions.
Many spoke yesterday about weather warnings, but most agreed that nobody could have anticipated that four inches of rain – the average amount of rainfall in a month – would fall in a matter of hours, resulting in devastating consequences.
“I don’t think anyone could have warned us about this. This was biblical almost, the amount of rain that fell here and the speed at which the river rose while we were standing at it was like something from a movie,” said local county councillor Patrick O’Donovan, who was on North Quay when the Arra burst.
“I have never witnessed anything like it and I never want to see anything like this again, where the centre of the town becomes like an ocean. It was absolutely unbelievable, just frightening,” he added.
Pat Hartnett (75), has been living in the same house on Maiden Street his whole life. The water came only up to his porch, but he was shocked to see the river sweep past his home carrying with it tree branches, beer barrels and gas cylinders.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in my life and I was born and reared here, as was my father and grandfather before him,” he said.
“I woke up and looked out and heard beer barrels which had been swept away by the current crashing off walls. The water didn’t eventually recede until it demolished a wall down the road from me,” he added.
Retired businessman Charlie Coughlan has been living in his home on North Quay for almost 50 years. He watched from upstairs with his wife Mary as the couple’s white Ford Focus car parked outside became almost completely submerged in water.
“We’ve never seen anything like it. It was frightening,” said the elderly couple.
On South Quay one of the country’s most popular bridal boutiques put its lucky escape down to the Child of Prague.
Patricia’s bridal shop was inundated with calls from brides yesterday, concerned their dress may have been damaged. “We didn’t get as much as a drop of water inside the door of the shop,” said assistant Margaret O’Connor. “We have a Child of Prague in the shop which the previous owner left here and it has been here for 16 years, and I really believe that that’s what saved us.”