By Dan Walsh
UPDATE at 10pm Thursday; The M11 has reopened for traffic having been closed for a number of hours this evening due to flash flooding following heavy rainfall.
The emergency services are stretched to the limit in North Wexford this evening after an extraordinary heavy downpour of rain saturated the district and caused flash flooding as people were leaving their workplaces.
The M11 Northbound is closed between junction 22 and 24 due to extremely heavy flooding while the M11 Southbound is reduced to single lane traffic and there are long tailbacks.
There were reports of a car floating on the high waters earlier this evening and a number of small road traffic collisions were noted.
On social media there was a call for help from a roaduser stranded on the M11 for over two hours with a small child in the car.
Extreme flooding is also reported at the railway bridge and Ballyloughan on the Arklow Road.
Flooding on the Courtown-Gorey road, at the Banogue River and the Ahare River and many rural roads in North Wexford require extreme caution.
Fire services from Wexford County Council and Arklow Fire Service are at the scene and thankfully, the rain has ceased, and the flood waters are receding slowly.
Roadusers are advised to avoid the affected areas and take extreme caution if travelling tonight. “Unless the journey is essential and unavoidable don’t travel,” is the general advice.
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