page_title: 2008 Irish flash floods
section_title: 1 August
hierarchical_section_title: 2008 Irish flash floods / Timeline of events / 1 August
context_page_description: The 2008 Irish flash floods were a series of flash floods that occurred across the island of Ireland in August 2008. The floods and related weather conditions primarily affected the following counties; Limerick, Cork, Dublin, Antrim, Carlow, Galway, Laois, Louth, Meath, Kildare, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Offaly, Sligo and Donegal. Parts of Ireland's large urban centres, including Dublin and Belfast, were submerged, whilst Carlow town has experienced some of the worst flooding in the country. One person died; 31-year-old Polish dad-of-one Przemyslaw Jablonski. He went missing in the River Fergus, in Ennis, and was found 6 days later in the same river. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
context_section_description: County Limerick and County Cork were the first areas to be affected. On the night of 31 July/August 1, the River Blackwater in Cork burst its banks, causing severe flooding between Banteer and Mallow. Cork County Council issued a flood warning for Mallow on the morning of the 1st whilst council staff distributed sandbags. Bridge Street in Mallow was closed for a time but later reopened for motorist use. The Town Park Road in Mallow was closed for a longer period. Flood relief works had been ongoing in Mallow for six months but were not expected to finish for another 18 months. Further downstream, floodwaters reached Fermoy at around 10 pm.
  In Limerick, it took several hours before electricity was restored to 3,000 homes in Newcastle West, where a major clear-up operation was underway after the River Arra burst its banks earlier in the morning. Up to 20 homes were badly affected by "freak" flash flooding overnight, with residents having to be rescued from their houses. There were few injuries; although an elderly woman was airlifted from her home and immediately diagnosed with hypothermia. Met Éireann said that the average rainfall for the last week of July was about 26mm – three times that amount dropped between 7 pm and midnighton 31 July in Newcastle West. At one rainfall station in the area, a measurement of 90.1mm was recorded in that time. Around 100mm of rain would be expected in one month. The rainfall was said to be "tropical-like in intensity". Limerick County Council issued a public drinking water notice residents of Newcastle West to boil their water before use. The areas affected by the boil notice included Newcastle West, Coolcappagh and Rathcahill and the Ballyine, Dually, Reens Kilscannell, Old Mill Road, Killoughteen and Killeline Group Water Supply Schemes.
caption: Residents in County Limerick were airlifted from their homes.
exif: {}