Waterford Roads - Severe Flooding

Sully

A word of warning to anybody out on the roads tonight or over the next few days. Take it easy, drive slowly and safely - there has been effectively non stop rain over the last 48 hours, gale force winds and the week has been pretty much the same. Roads that are not flooded do have a lot of surface water present so stopping time will be greatly reduced.

Several roads around the city very badly flooded. This is what I am aware off;

Waterford to Tramore road in several sections - starting at Super Quinn working all the way out by half way house. Not passable. Back road partly flooded in places and dodgy enough (at the best of times!) to drive on with large volume of traffic including buses. The other route out by the Holy Cross is fine, just surface water.

Cork Road stretch by McDonalds/Lidl area (passable).

Cork Road by the RSC (passable).

Kilbary Road by the connection to Ballybeg Relief Road (just about passable).

Polbery Road (side of Tesco) is flooded (just about passable).

Once again lads - the weather is terrible. Will clear up later I believe but not for long. As a result, some roads are party or fully flooded or simply have a bit more then usual surface water which can make driving conditions dangerous. With the wind blowing down trees, taking slates of roofs etc - its also dangerous walking. Parnell Street was closed as a result of this earlier.

Take it easy and safe journey's.

maquiladora

More wind and rain on Saturday and then Sunday winds could get a good bit stronger...

Dum_Dum

maquiladora wrote: »

More wind and rain on Saturday and then Sunday winds could get a good bit stronger...

Feels like summer all over again.

nkay1985

It was unbelieveable out there tonight!

I tried to get to Ballygunner from the Cork Road area (about 00:30). The Cork Road outside the RSC had water covering the entire width of the road but if you drove in the middle of the road, it was ok. Turned right at the roundabout to go up past Kelly & Dollard. I've seen surface water there before but not this! From about ten feet past the exit form Kelly & Dollard etc up to the roundabout it was covered in water. It looked very deep too, I'd say well over a foot in places. There were guys there with a recovery truck; I think they'd just recovered a car whose driver must have tried to risk it!

Then tried to get to the Outer Ring Road via the Six Cross Roads way. Most of the road was grand but came to one dip where there was a bit too much water for comfort there!

Decided to chance Witches' Lane (which leads to the Butlerstown roundabout on the ORR). After a little bit of rain this is normally swamped so I wasn't too hopeful but it was bone dry! Couldn't believe it.

All the ORR was fine to drive on. I decided to take the Tramore exit at Ballindud jus tto see how much worse it had gotten since 16:00. I had to take a picture on my phone because I've never seen it like that! Will upload tomorrow.

I think it's safe to say we'll have this again to some extent over the course of the weekend. My advice to people trying to navigate their way around the town is that the best roads would be the ORR, the Cork Road and then any of the roads that are uphill from there.

I'm just glad I don't live in Galway though!

Flyer1

nkay I probably saw you. I was sitting in the toy shop there with a few pals, we said we'd go watch to see how many muppets tried to go through it. I was just :eek:. How stupid are Waterford people ? One guy went flat out in to it, stopped in the middle, car conked, barely got going. Enging was misfiring badly.

Another guy took a leap at it, on the rev limiter in 1st gear, mounted the kerb. Car stopped outside advance, sucked water in.

Other people made it through and the cars all sucked up water and stopped just past advance. Worst it will get.

nkay1985

Flyer1 wrote: »

nkay I probably saw you. I was sitting in the toy shop there with a few pals, we said we'd go watch to see how many muppets tried to go through it. I was just :eek:. How stupid are Waterford people ? One guy went flat out in to it, stopped in the middle, car conked, barely got going. Enging was misfiring badly.

Another guy took a leap at it, on the rev limiter in 1st gear, mounted the kerb. Car stopped outside advance, sucked water in.

Other people made it through and the cars all sucked up water and stopped just past advance. Worst it will get.

Jesus that was the height of stupidity! At least go around and see if it's better to go up by Smyths! How long were you there and how many tried it? I presume most people were smart enough to not bother!

rex-x

Went through the main Waterford road (by the windmill) in the Isuzu Trooper and its about 3 feet deep in the centre of the road, I opened the door for a look at one point and the water was past the bottom level so closed it fairly lively :eek: Dont even attempt it in a car, there is a poor rover there thats almost submerged

Cabaal

Portlaw Road and Piltown were flooded in a awful way yesterday

Asmodean

Any pics? Want to see what it's like down home!

JohnC.

Just took these with a phone a short while ago. I assume it would have been a fair bit worse last night when it was still raining.
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r129/JohnCarberry/a5ece481.jpg
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r129/JohnCarberry/01b8b90f.jpg
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r129/JohnCarberry/af62de4b.jpg
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r129/JohnCarberry/ac707a41.jpg
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r129/JohnCarberry/ef7f1e20.jpg
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r129/JohnCarberry/67d2199e.jpg

fricatus

Damien Tiernan was on RTE this morning referring to flooding on the "Inner Relief Road". :rolleyes:

In fairness, he's usually pretty good. Maybe his feet were wet and he had an off day as a result!

lassykk

I know this isn't officially Waterford City related but I passed by the Night Cap this morning going to work and the road down under the railway bridge across from it looks like a river now.

The house there must be completely destroyed as the water was up to the middle of the windows of the house. The 2 cars belonging to the house were fully submerged too and some idiot in a jeep looked like they'd tried to get through and got stuck.

I've never seen it like that at the Night Cap before!!!

The road through Slieverue was also closed this morning or so I have been reliably informed

gscully

lassykk wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

That 'idiot' you refer to is a woman (I happen to know) in her 60s who had to get home that way. The water was nowhere near as deep when she tried to go through it (how many of us would actually turn back without giving it a go first?), but she got stuck regardless. The water started to rise and flood the inside of her Land Rover. She can't swim and started to panic. She called the fire brigade who came and rescued her. At that point the water was up to her chest and she was in an awful state.

Flash floods can make fools of anyone!

Typhoon.

I'm amazed the disregard people have for their cars. the amount of people still ploughing on through the floods was unreal.. The Road closed signs mean nothing to eople either... just an obstacle to be rounded.

The roundabout at superquinn was like a little desert Island

lassykk

gscully wrote: »

That 'idiot' you refer to is a woman (I happen to know) in her 60s who had to get home that way. The water was nowhere near as deep when she tried to go through it (how many of us would actually turn back without giving it a go first?), but she got stuck regardless. The water started to rise and flood the inside of her Land Rover. She can't swim and started to panic. She called the fire brigade who came and rescued her. At that point the water was up to her chest and she was in an awful state.

Flash floods can make fools of anyone!

I'm a tad confused by this... why didn't she go the alternative route? around by de shanty cross and then down by strangsmills school? or does she live up the lane where the flood is? I'm very sorry she panicked but I saw that the morning before any no one wit any sense would drive through it unless they had no other option

And no I think you'll find plenty of people don't try drive through a flood first and think secondly about how deep it is!!!

Cabaal

gscully wrote: »

That 'idiot' you refer to is a woman (I happen to know) in her 60s who had to get home that way.

She didn't "have" to, she could have gone the long way around

lassykk

just said I'd post a pic of the flood under the night cap just to show how bad it is. Sorry about the shaky nature of the pic as the car I took it from was moving (I was the passenger before the PC brigade attack);)

Also just a word of warning anyone travelling from Waterford to Carlow/Dublin tonight... Avoid Thomastown at all costs... The traffic is backed up really badly. There's no flooding on the road you would be using but the road from Thomastown to Inistioge is closed and causing long delays. We were stuck for about 45 minutes there earlier.

gscully

lassykk wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

I think it happened late last night, so maybe the depth wasn't obvious and the engine flooded quickly...but I haven't seen it myself, so I don't know. Maybe she was chancing her arm a bit, but I'm not gonna ask

lassykk

gscully wrote: »

I think it happened late last night, so maybe the depth wasn't obvious and the engine flooded quickly...but I haven't seen it myself, so I don't know. Maybe she was chancing her arm a bit, but I'm not gonna ask

I think she might have been as the road was closed yesterday morning as it was too flooded to pass. Glad she's OK but it seems like she was very silly (won't use a stronger word as don't wanna offend anyone)

Tellox

Total balls that the bike is stuck at home.. but at least this is making for some great pictures!

JohnC.

What happened to the Quay the last few years? I remember it flooding regularly during spring tides and the like, but I've not seen it flooded in several years. Have I just been lucky to be nowhere near it when it floods for several years or did it mostly stop?

Sully

Kahless wrote: »

What happened to the Quay the last few years? I remember it flooding regularly during spring tides and the like, but I've not seen it flooded in several years. Have I just been lucky to be nowhere near it when it floods for several years or did it mostly stop?

They raised it there a while back, and are in the middle of the flood relief wall. Seems to have helped anyway!

Hifive

As far as I know the flooding on the quays is more dependent on spring tides (very high and very low) and wind direction, than actual rainfall, although I'm sure very heavy rainfall doesn't help.

If the wind is strong and has been blowing from the South East (rare enough) for a few days and occurs at the same time as a spring tide (+ heavy rainfall)you can have a very high water situation. Combine this scenario with low atmospheric pressure (less air pressing down on the sea) and don't be surprised if the quay car parks flood.

The new and very impressive, flood defenses are not complete yet, so for the meantime, we are still exposed.


Mark

Flyer1

nkay1985 wrote: »

Jesus that was the height of stupidity! At least go around and see if it's better to go up by Smyths! How long were you there and how many tried it? I presume most people were smart enough to not bother!

We were there for about 2hrs, about 3/10 people went through it. Was amazed. Had to get to Kwik Fit myself today, my car is fairly low so any flood is a no no, had to resort to going on foot, hehe.

mike65

The old Tramore road by the new Creche (?) before you reach the ORR has a great pot hole apparently - several feet long. Sounds like that section is best avoided (on a related matter what fcukwit thought it right to allow development on that stretch given its current condition (a nasty corner, no pavement, crumbling surface, no lighting)?

nkay1985

Flyer1 wrote: »

We were there for about 2hrs, about 3/10 people went through it. Was amazed. Had to get to Kwik Fit myself today, my car is fairly low so any flood is a no no, had to resort to going on foot, hehe.

Yeah you wouldn't want to end up like this poor fella in Cork!




It's really bad out there again this morning. Bucketing down and strong wind. If it keeps it up at all, I'd say we'll be back to the same as Thursday night pretty soon.

Jambo

Sully wrote: »

They raised it there a while back, and are in the middle of the flood relief wall. Seems to have helped anyway!

The Quay has never been raised , its still the same as it was for the last 30years.

Tonight we may see a bit of flooding on the quay with the southerly winds due to increase at 7/8pm coinciding with HW , this will help push more water back up the estuary.

Alot of the flood water from the Suir catchment area and the places upstream which were flooded in previous days will only be starting to arrive in the lower suir from today which will also help push tidal levels up.

gscully

nkay1985 wrote: »

Yeah you wouldn't want to end up like this poor fella in Cork!

A boy-racer? I'm fcuken delighted!

nkay1985

gscully wrote: »

A boy-racer? I'm fcuken delighted!

I would imagine so with it being a Levin. Still don't like seeing that happen to anyone.

Did I hear correctly that your insurance doesn't cover you for water damage unless it happened outside your home?

Typhoon.

that pothole on the old tramore road has been fixed.. the council were on the ball.

but I agree that creche should never have been opened until that road was upgraded.

honeybadger

Typhoon. wrote: »

that pothole on the old tramore road has been fixed.. the council were on the ball.

but I agree that creche should never have been opened until that road was upgraded.

and proper order that pothole was fixed i seen two cars wrecked over that 1 last nite and the little rocks that came out of that hole nearly claimed me aswell earlier on the bike