Dodder Road Lower, Rathfarnham, Dublin - Flood Risk

Eglinton

Hi All,

I'm not particurly familiar with Dodder Road Lower but have seen a number of houses for sale/rent here.

Could anyone with knowledge of the area advise what the flood risk is?

For example, did these houses flood during the major rain of October 2011?

The river is a lot lower than the road here but saying that it is much lower than the Dropping Well in Milltown too and that flooded badly in 2011.

I had a look at Dublin City Council's floodrisk assessments online and it seems that the road has a risk of 1 in 1000 in any given year. Not quite sure how that compares with other areas.

But if anyone has local knowledge / past history, I'd be interested to here their views.

Thanks in advance.

Tigger

they flooded in 86 but 86 was a crazy year
http://www.thepropertypin.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=40613

Tow

The houses at the Rathfarnam Castle gate end have flooded. The road floods every few years a little further down before is meets the bridge at Mt Carmels. In saying that I would not mind living on the road, but a little further upstream.

nicol

You could always ring an insurance company and ask them their opinion . I know they use data from local authorities, OSI and a private company to decide if a property is a flood risk. You could tell them you are looking for a quote on a property you are interested in.

Worth a shot.

Eglinton wrote: »

Hi All,

I'm not particurly familiar with Dodder Road Lower but have seen a number of houses for sale/rent here.

Could anyone with knowledge of the area advise what the flood risk is?

For example, did these houses flood during the major rain of October 2011?

The river is a lot lower than the road here but saying that it is much lower than the Dropping Well in Milltown too and that flooded badly in 2011.

I had a look at Dublin City Council's floodrisk assessments online and it seems that the road has a risk of 1 in 1000 in any given year. Not quite sure how that compares with other areas.

But if anyone has local knowledge / past history, I'd be interested to here their views.

Thanks in advance.

djimi

I reckon ringing an insurer is a smart move alright as they would likely be the biggest stumbling block for a property in a flood risk area.

Valentine1

The Dodder floods relatively easily and given that Dodder Road Lower is at almost the lowest point in the "Dodder valley" I would think that you have to describe it as being a flood risk. I know there are some flood defenses there but they are not extensive.

Eglinton

Great information and advice folks. I tried to obtain a few online quotes for some sample addresses but none could progress beyond the address stage so the road must be on their list. I'll try calling a few and get the story.

Interesting the floodmaps.ie website details the flood extent from both Hurricane Charlie in 1986 and the October 2011 events. In both cases very few houses flooded (located near the Arch only) so it really is dependent on what end of the road you look at. In most cases it was just a part of the front gardens, even with Hurricane Charlie which seems to be regarded as exceptional.

I wonder what sort of flood prevention measures have been put in place since (if any).

Valentine1

Eglinton wrote: »

Great information and advice folks. I tried to obtain a few online quotes for some sample addresses but none could progress beyond the address stage so the road must be on their list. I'll try calling a few and get the story.

Interesting the floodmaps.ie website details the flood extent from both Hurricane Charlie in 1986 and the October 2011 events. In both cases very few houses flooded (located near the Arch only) so it really is dependent on what end of the road you look at. In most cases it was just a part of the front gardens, even with Hurricane Charlie which seems to be regarded as exceptional.

I wonder what sort of flood prevention measures have been put in place since (if any).

There are locks on the dodder in Irishtown and the stretch you are looking at has concrete retaining walls.

Chris_5339762

All this said, it is an extremely nice road to live on I think. Been down there a few times and you have all the walks by the Dodder, some lovely parks etc.

Eglinton

Hi All,

Just wanted to update you on my investigations. Out of the six major insurers, five would not provide house insurance for any house on Dodder Road Lower at all due to flood risk. The 6th said they would but I have doubts as to whether this would actually be the case when it came to it. My confidence in competence of the person at the end of the phone was not high.

After speaking with my mortgage provider, they advised me against the property. Nice place but insurance is important (and a requisite for a mortgage) so I've decided to withdraw from the negotiations. Not worth the hassle (and probably the risk, the more I think about it).

Thanks for your assistance.

Valentine1

thanks for the update, I'm no engineer but I do know the area a little and I wouldn't buy down there either simply because I would consider the flood risk to be high.

Slutmonkey57b

Insurance companies have this sort of data for the entire country because it's underwriting data, and it's much more detailed than what the councils and local authorities have. However they won't give it out and you won't get them to admit to it either.

As the op found, you have to call for a quote with a specific address, as in house number. Calling for a general quote about a road or street or area isn't likely to get a response. Also bear in mind if you ask about #23 the information held relevant to #4 might be entirely different.

GemmaB

I was looking at one of the houses there recently and did some research as we loved the house. Only the houses at the very end have ever flooded (inc 1986)... Hence one selling for 250k recently. We spoke to the neighbours of the house we were interested in and the mid section has never flooded and none had a problem with insurance. Sadly the house has gone 35k over the asking so we're not going to get it but if another one came up there we'd snap it up! Fab road!

Qualitymark

Wow! €250k? And it's such a beautiful road, with big houses, long gardens and in a gorgeous area for walks and convenient for town and the mountains.
Extensive anti-flood measures have been put in place in Glenasmole in the last few years so that if the Dodder is running too high the water can be run off into a holding basin.

GemmaB

Qualitymark wrote: »

Wow! €250k? And it's such a beautiful road, with big houses, long gardens and in a gorgeous area for walks and convenient for town and the mountains.
Extensive anti-flood measures have been put in place in Glenasmole in the last few years so that if the Dodder is running too high the water can be run off into a holding basin.

I know ... 250 is fab! The one we looked at has just gone sake agreed at 485+ (EA wouldn't say exact amount but said just over 485 so prob 485,500)

Qualitymark

And I assume it would be possible to get house insurance that excluded flood damage?

Tea drinker

GemmaB wrote: »

I know ... 250 is fab! The one we looked at has just gone sake agreed at 485+ (EA wouldn't say exact amount but said just over 485 so prob 485,500)

Sake agreed indeed. ;-)

GemmaB

Tea drinker wrote: »

Sake agreed indeed. ;-)

Ha fraudulent slip

The_Conductor

Qualitymark wrote: »

And I assume it would be possible to get house insurance that excluded flood damage?

No.
Most companies won't quote, period.

footyball

Hello,
got out of lower dodder rd in 2012,flooding got to 30 yards of the house and so glad we did...you cannot put a price on peace of mind,no price, and to live with such stress when you get older must be awful..we are buying and never again will we buy near a river..any river...we have seen it,experienced it etc and until you have you will never know...roads can be glammed up all they want it makes no odds...i would rather live in a dump at the top of the hill!!!

okiec666

Lower Dodder Road between the Rathfarnham Road & the Arch hasn't flooded since Hurricane Charlie in 1986 so their's no worries.

The_Conductor

okiec666 wrote: »

Lower Dodder Road between the Rathfarnham Road & the Arch hasn't flooded since Hurricane Charlie in 1986 so their's no worries.

It was helped by the remedial works upstream- and is really quite safe these days. Unfortunately- you may have issues getting insurance nonetheless- as its still marked on most maps- but it is safe.

footyball

okiec666 wrote: »

Lower Dodder Road between the Rathfarnham Road & the Arch hasn't flooded since Hurricane Charlie in 1986 so their's no worries.

Dear okiec666..
I lived on lower dodder rd for 17 years so apart from the fact that cars were totally immersed in water,people standing on top of their cars,with the odd scream,hazard lights on ,with the water heading your way...ye i guess apart from all that there are no worries...i know what planet i live on!!!

okiec666

Dear Footyball.

My In-laws have lived on Lower Dodder Road for the last 58 years & their house hasn't flooded for the last 45 years. The only time they got worried was in 1986 with Hurricane Charlie. I'm glad you know what planet you live on.

footyball

Hello
People like you have a vested interest in protecting your houses and I can understand that but I am telling you what I witnessed!!it does not matter how long you were living there that's the past!!!the future is away from rivers ask any global scientist,they all agree all over the world that the climate is changing so years ago it was no problem but not now or into the future,the point is why would you buy near a river when you don't have to???in my time there we had four warnings and in 2011there was a lot if flooding at the arch and all along dodder park road and in 2012 a house on that road went for just over 200,000 did they want out!!ye but I guess they imagined it as well
Earth calling Jupiter

Qualitymark

How's about someone sourcing some photos of a flooded Lower Dodder Road to back their case, if such photos exist?

footyball

Hello,
It looks like you did not read the previous blog,you are blinded by your vested interest..you want evidence globally as i said research it,talk to any world climatologist,talk to Oxford University Climate experts..evidance locally talk to the people who witnessed it.the people who live down by the arch and get their honest assessment,i witnessed it ,my friends and reletives witnessed it,talk to the insurance companies because the last i heard they wont insure anyone living within 200 metres of a river,and they do a lot of research into this..so if this does not add up to evidence i dont know what does.I am sorry i dont have any photos for ya but i was too busy ****ting myself when the water was heading my way!!!But lets look on the bright side,say it does not flood in the next 20 years or so do you really think the next generation are going to buy houses near rivers!!I think not and before i go i am right now listening to a guy on the radio in Serbia describing the flooding there(summer time)as Biblical and unprecedented!!!!mmmmm maybe those scientists are all wrong and you are right!!mmmm

Qualitymark

I have no vested interest in Lower Dodder Road.
I don't live there; I don't intend to live there; I know someone who lived there for some years, who said that the road didn't flood because the park on the other side of the river was lower and acted as a flood plain. For all I know, this person may be a psychopathic liar. Or not.
I don't know what you mean by "read the previous blog".
If the road has flooded, presumably someone took photos.

footyball

that last one was for okiec666 sorry not you...

Johnnyhpipe

www dot floodmaps dot ie

Just type in the address and you'll get a full flood history.

CelticRambler

I don't have the photos to prove it, but I do know that the road was impassable due to flooding one particular evening about two (maybe three) years ago when I was trying to get from Orwell Road to Rathfarnham Shopping Centre (I was stuck for three hours). I used to cycle Lower Dodder Road almost every day for five years in the 90s and never had a problem. For that reason, listening to AA Roadwatch, I found it hard to believe at first how often they mention flooding on Lower Dodder Road, but the number of times I've encountered even minor flooding in the relatively few days/weeks I've been back in the last ten years is out of all proportion to what it was.