Flooding caused destruction from Ardara to Dunfanaghy

Flooding and exploring funding avenues in a bid to deal with the destruction caused by it took centre stage at a Glenties Municipal District (GMD) on Tuesday.

Flooding occurred from Ardara to Dunfanaghy, leaving people trapped in homes, washing away roads, flooding a football field and causing infrastructural damage in the wake of storm Debi. 

Rain hit the county shortly after 5am on Monday morning with one councillor describing her ‘house shaking’ with the intensity of it.         

WATCH: Flooding at Assaranca falls near Ardara

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Area manager, Brendan McFadden, told councillors that he had never witnessed anything like it. 

“I have never seen so much rain and water in all my time here and I put that down to the intensity of the rain,” he said. 

He thanked councillors from across the district for sending him photographs and videos of the areas worst hit by the rain. Drains were already running full, raising the water level in fields, the engineer said. 

He told members that there are flood relief schemes which he had previously outlined to members in 2020 and areas across the district fall within certain tiers. 

Sinn Féin Councillor Marie Therese Gallagher said Donegal County Council (DCC) needs to write to the Office of Public Works (OPW) about getting rivers cleaned. 

The Cathaoirleach of the GMD, Cllr Michael McClafferty suggested that the GMD write to the OPW as a matter of urgency. 

Fianna Fáil Councillor Anthony Molloy said he was aware that an elderly person who had been flooded before didn’t sleep all night worrying about the damage that could be caused by the rain. 

He also said the Maghera road in Ardara had been badly damaged as a result of the flooding. 

The Director of Water and Environment, Michael McGarvey spoke about the increasing frequency of storms adding he would discuss the matter further with counterparts. He informed councillors that he would ascertain what channels may be explored to address the issues. 

Meanwhile, Cllr Michael McClafferty told council members and officials that it took 4 hours for the fire services to remove flood water that had trapped people in their homes in Port Dale, Dunfanaghy.

UPDATE: Fire services arrive in Dunfanaghy to help with flooding

People are upset and concerned says local councillor

Cllr McClafferty said people were upset and exceptionally concerned as water, one-metre high, engulfed homes on the estate on Monday. 

Children could not get out of their homes to go to school and there was also concern in relation to people who were medically dependent on the estate. 

The water also engulfed an ESB box and Cllr McClafferty said his main fear was that people would be electrocuted as a result.  

Area manager, Brendan McFadden, informed Cllr McClafferty that gullies on the Port Dale estate were cleaned in September adding that it would take a significant amount of funding to rectify the situation. He added that flooding on Pound Street was a complicated issue and that various applications had been made, to date, to address it.