New flooding fears from overnight rain

By Dan Walsh

It has been raining steadily for most of today and is still falling tonight and reports have reached WexfordLocal.com that the road from Baldwinstown to Bridgetown is now heavily flooded and the canal is rising quickly in Bridgetown.

Cllr Jim Codd said Council response teams are already on site with sandbags. They will continue to closely monitor the situation in Bridgetown and Duncormick over the night. ““There is a lot of surface water and flooding in places so please drive carefully and avoid unnecessary travel. Please avoid driving in the area if at all possible,” he said.

Excess water is reported on the Duncannon line in places and flooding occurring on the Murrintown to Bridgetown Road, Murrintown village, Longridge, the Mill Lane in Bridgetown, Larkins Cross to Taghmon, Twelveacre to Killinick, Kilcavan, Duncormick to Rathangan, Dunphys Bridge in Rathangan and Bridgetown to Baldwinstown.

Serious damage to property in the south Wexford areas of Bridgetown, Kilmore Quay and Rathangan was caused by the Christmas Day deluge and several loaded skips of personal and household belongings have been taken away as householders and businesses count the cost.

Cllrs Jim Codd, Tom Forde, Fionntán Ó Súilleabhain, Leonard Kelly and Jackser Owens have called for a Special Meeting of Wexford County Council under Section 4 of Standing Orders to discuss the worst flooding in living memory in south Wexford. The request has been granted and is scheduled for next Wednesday afternoon.

Thousands of acres of land adjoining the canal were flooded and hundreds of acres of winter cereal crops were destroyed. Deputy Paul Kehoe and Cllr Jim Moore met with local landowners, President of the IFA Tim Cullinan and Wexford County IFA personnel at the flooding site in the Kilmore area.

Deputy Kehoe said; “I spoke with the Ministers for Agriculture Charlie McConologue TD and Martin Heydon TD. I will be continuing to fight to get some compensation package.”

In case of an emergency call Wexford County Council Emergency line on 1890 666 777.