WATCH: Floods have hit homes and roads in Laois town

Mountmellick in Laois has been hit with floods, eight years to the month since the town's most serious flood in living memory.

The N80 road has been flooded again, and may have to be closed to traffic as water continues to flood the Owenass River from the mountains. Manor Road is also flooded and has been closed, but water is receding there. Two households have been flooded so far. Many more are awake since the early hours with sandbags and flood defences at their doors, with no flood insurance to protect them. 

Laois County Council say more floods are expected with heavy rain to return on Friday, lasting into Saturday.

They say that river levels have hit their highest point in six years. 

Mountmellick is at least two to three years away from getting long planned flood defences built by the Office of Public Works. A planning application was submitted recently, and Compulsory Purchase Orders are underway across dozens of properties.

The Leinster Express / Laois Live is on the ground recording scenes and meeting affected residents. More to come.