As Newry counts the cost of flood damage, businesses need urgent …

Newry’s Sugar Island area remained flooded on Wednesday after the extreme rain at the start of the week. PICTURE: ARTHUR ALLISON/PACEMAKERPRESS

A remarkable 12,000 sandbags were distributed to deal with the floods which followed this week’s intense rainfall, but it wasn’t enough to hold back rising water levels, with Newry the worst affected area.

The city’s canal burst its banks ^[1] on Monday night. Despite the valiant efforts of government and council workers and business owners, the rising flood could not be held back. As many as 80 businesses – mainly on the Co Armagh side of the city – have been affected.

12,000 sandbags deployed as areas of Northern Ireland hit by flooding ^[2]

Newry braces for further flooding as city counts cost of damage ^[3]

It is a devastating blow. With premises ruined and their equipment and stock destroyed, these businesses and their staff face an uncertain future and a long road to recovery. Previous floods mean that some won’t have insurance to cover the damage.

Paul McCartan, of the well known McCartan Bros clothing shop on Newry’s Sugar Island, talked in desperate terms of how the premises had been swamped: “It’s my livelihood and unfortunately the inside of the shop is an absolute mess.” He estimates a repair bill of £250,000.

With more bad weather forecast, there are also fears that there could be further breaches of the canal wall.

Other places badly affected include parts of Portadown, Templepatrick and Downpatrick, and there are concerns that the River Bann could burst its banks in places.

Businesses in Newry are counting the cost of this week’s flooding. PICTURE: ARTHUR ALLISON/PACEMAKERPRESS

While most areas have escaped the catastrophe of flood damage, numerous smaller episodes have had wide ripple effects: road and rail closures caused considerable disruption, for example, and the Department for Infrastructure said its flooding incident line had received 800 calls.

This week’s extreme rainfall and resulting floods are a further signal of our vulnerability to the effects of climate change. Killowen, on Carlingford Lough, experienced an average October’s rainfall in just 48 hours this week, for example.

It is vital that we respond to these new environmental realities, which have implications for everything from where we build and from what materials to agricultural policy and transport planning.

Fundamental to making coherent progress in these areas is a functioning government at Stormont, which has largely made itself synonymous with incoherence and negativity. Even before MLAs attempt to address these challenges, Sinn Féin’s Conor Murphy is correct to point out that politicians are “fighting with their arms tied behind their back” to secure financial support for those affected this week. It is another example of where the DUP’s stubborn boycott of power-sharing is causing material harm to the public.

References

^{^} city’s canal burst its banks (www.irishnews.com)
^{^} 12,000 sandbags deployed as areas of Northern Ireland hit by flooding (www.irishnews.com)
^{^} Newry braces for further flooding as city counts cost of damage (www.irishnews.com)