Flooding tonight 2nd Jan

Discodog

Storm 10 wrote: »

One of the main reasons is because the storm centre passed very close to Galway at the time, low pressure allows the sea to become higher especially with the pull of the full moon that evening. so given all these conditions with the wind, the moon, an extremely high tide and the low pressure system you had the perfect storm.

I totally understand that but the sea didn't overtop as badly as in previous storms which were a lot more damaging. For example Leisureland was flooded, sea wall destroyed & the prom torn up. None of that happened this time.

Some strange logic from the Minister.

In Galway city, the works are costed at €9.5m. But the cost of repairing severe flood damage in the city is estimated as substantially less at €8.2m

Surely if the work is done we won't have to pay 9 million again

Robbo

Discodog wrote: »

From what I have been told by people that were there, most of the damage was caused by river water not seawater.

Did they do a taste test?

xckjoo

what_traffic wrote: »

Anybody know when the Canal Lock on the Eglinton Canal (behind the Bierhouse House/Parkavara) is to be re-installed?

Last I heard there was no plans to replace it. Too expensive.

Little Mc

Discodog wrote: »

I totally understand that but the sea didn't overtop as badly as in previous storms which were a lot more damaging. For example Leisureland was flooded, sea wall destroyed & the prom torn up. None of that happened this time.

Some strange logic from the Minister.

In Galway city, the works are costed at €9.5m. But the cost of repairing severe flood damage in the city is estimated as substantially less at €8.2m

Surely if the work is done we won't have to pay 9 million again

Leisureland has shiny new flood defences around it, the defences further out at the golf course were completely rebuilt bigger and higher than they were before and the waves weren't as big/strong as the 2013 storms anyway.

Zzippy

Discodog wrote: »

I live by the sea & the overtopping was nothing compared to previous storms which didn't flood the city. There hasn't been the damage to coastal defences like before.

So why did the city flood so badly when the conditions weren't as bad as previous storms?

Two words: Storm surge.
A storm creates big waves which cause damage to seashore infrastructure. In Galway, a southwesterly storm causes the biggest waves with longest fetch across the bay.
Storm Eleanor had westerly-NW winds, which didn't create such huge waves on the northern shore of the bay. It did cause a storm surge, piling water up higher towards the eastern end of the bay, hence the flooding in Galway city, Oranmore, Clarinbridge and Kinvara and other coastal locations close to those towns. The storm surge coincided with a big tide at just the wrong time. If high tide had been earlier in the day there might have been no flooding at all.

what_traffic

xckjoo wrote: »

Last I heard there was no plans to replace it. Too expensive.

Any idea on what kind of money it would cost to replace it?

JohnCleary

what_traffic wrote: »

Any idea on what kind of money it would cost to replace it?

The quote the Lough Corrib Navigation Trustees received was approx 10 times the figure that another (voluntary) group paid for a slightly smaller lough gate to be built in the East.

The figure I saw on paper was astronomical compared to quotes for similar jobs in the past.... something in the region of €400k*

(* Don't quote me on the exact price, it was a while ago I read the figure)

what_traffic

http://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/97786/message-from-the-mayor
"
The majority of those present accepted the Chief Executive’s statement that under the circumstances in this instance the council staff were blameless for the flooding and I concur with this position.

The information that was given to Council by the OPW and Met Office did not indicate that such a cataclysmic event was on the horizon. A crisis management team was not arranged on the afternoon prior to the flood because the Council were clearly told that no such crisis existed nor was there any reason for concern.

This information was clearly inaccurate and the consequences were severe. However responsibility for this does not rest with the workers in City Hall. It rests elsewhere. This must not happen again.

xckjoo

what_traffic wrote: »

http://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/97786/message-from-the-mayor
"
The majority of those present accepted the Chief Executive’s statement that under the circumstances in this instance the council staff were blameless for the flooding and I concur with this position.

The information that was given to Council by the OPW and Met Office did not indicate that such a cataclysmic event was on the horizon. A crisis management team was not arranged on the afternoon prior to the flood because the Council were clearly told that no such crisis existed nor was there any reason for concern.

This information was clearly inaccurate and the consequences were severe. However responsibility for this does not rest with the workers in City Hall. It rests elsewhere. This must not happen again.

Sounds like it's going to be the usual routine of everyone scrambling to prove it wasn't their responsibility yet nobody works to ensure it doesn't happen again.

Robbo

what_traffic wrote: »

http://www.advertiser.ie/galway/article/97786/message-from-the-mayor
"
The majority of those present accepted the Chief Executive’s statement that under the circumstances in this instance the council staff were blameless for the flooding and I concur with this position.

The information that was given to Council by the OPW and Met Office did not indicate that such a cataclysmic event was on the horizon. A crisis management team was not arranged on the afternoon prior to the flood because the Council were clearly told that no such crisis existed nor was there any reason for concern.

This information was clearly inaccurate and the consequences were severe. However responsibility for this does not rest with the workers in City Hall. It rests elsewhere. This must not happen again.

I think we've just had a Michael Fish moment. It's been some time since our weather forecasting was overseen by the Brits.

Mrs OBumble

Robbo wrote: »

I think we've just had a Michael Fish moment. It's been some time since our weather forecasting was overseen by the Brits.

Perhaps if the Brits were doing it, they wouldn't have fc*ked up so badly re Storm Eleanor.

what_traffic

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Perhaps if the Brits were doing it, they wouldn't have fc*ked up so badly re Storm Eleanor.

Are you trying to be even more popular than Galway City Council currently are ?:D

Discodog

This was out own MT's forecast issued at 7.30 am

ALERT for very strong wind gusts late afternoon into the evening hours from storm "Eleanor" in most southern and central counties, details may not be nailed down until just before this begins as it's a fast-developing frontal wave still quite a distance off to the west and in an early stage of development now. Forecast will give details but peak gusts could be 110 km/hr to 130 km/hr depending on how it intensifies. Look for an update around 3-4 p.m.

The words Late Afternoon coinciding with an exceptional hide tide weren't enough to be considered exceptional. All the "expert" posts in our Weather forum predicted this, the day before.

what_traffic

http://connachttribune.ie/councils-eleanor-flooding-decisions-based-wrong-information-300/
"
He said that as regards the calling of a meeting of the Local Co-ordination Committee [flooding], the City Council had not been contacted by the Dept of the Environment to call such a meeting, even though other local authorities had received notifications.
"

It looks like sombody in the Dept of Environment had it in for Galway City? :eek:

what_traffic

what_traffic wrote: »

http://connachttribune.ie/councils-eleanor-flooding-decisions-based-wrong-information-300/
"
He said that as regards the calling of a meeting of the Local Co-ordination Committee [flooding], the City Council had not been contacted by the Dept of the Environment to call such a meeting, even though other local authorities had received notifications.
"

It looks like sombody in the Dept of Environment had it in for Galway City? :eek:

Yes, because 1+1=3

Jesus wept!

Discodog

The council need to appoint someone to monitor the forecasts, not just ME but the online forecasts like our weather forum. They should have the authority to put emergency plans in place. The system is too slow.

Discodog

Discodog wrote: »

The council need to appoint someone to monitor the forecasts, not just ME but the online forecasts like our weather forum. They should have the authority to put emergency plans in place. The system is too slow.

First time I've honestly burst out laughing at something on boards. Fair play!

You should talk to Paraic Connelly

ben.schlomo

[Deleted User] wrote: »

First time I've honestly burst out laughing at something on boards. Fair play!

You should talk to Paraic Connelly

Great idea, I'd love a public service job where I get to read boards and met.ie every day. And yes I realise I've described most public service jobs right there.

Discodog

Deleted User wrote: »

First time I've honestly burst out laughing at something on boards. Fair play!

You should talk to Paraic Connelly

Careful you are sounding like Mrs OB

Did you burst out laughing at the flooding ?

The forecasts were accurate, predicted the flood risk & gave around 24 hours warning.

The Council say that there was no warning, via their normal channels except for the ME Orange.

You might think it funny to monitor the weather, the hundreds flooded don't.

Discodog

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Great idea, I'd love a public service job where I get to read boards and met.ie every day. And yes I realise I've described most public service jobs right there.

Then work for the DoE. Of course monitoring the weather is important.

I guess that neither you or DaCor looked at the weather forum either - probably just a bunch of know nothings making up forecasts.

Mrs OBumble

Discodog wrote: »

Then work for the DoE. Of course monitoring the weather is important.

I guess that neither you or DaCor looked at the weather forum either - probably just a bunch of know nothings making up forecasts.

Volunteers, even very knowledgable ones, are all very well - but you cannot rely on them to provide cover 24x365. That's the government weather agency's job.

They are the ones who are responsible for monitoring various sources, not each individual council.

ben.schlomo

Discodog wrote: »

Then work for the DoE. Of course monitoring the weather is important.

I guess that neither you or DaCor looked at the weather forum either - probably just a bunch of know nothings making up forecasts.

Burn!

biko

This has stopped being about the flooding which was intended to be informative for locals.
Do feel free to discuss climate change etc, just not here