Farmers in fear as heavy rains leave flood levels dangerously high

HUNDREDS of householders and farmers across large stretches of South Galway are pinning their hopes of flood survival on a dry spell through early February as water tables and turloughs have risen to dangerously high levels over the past week.

Twelve stretches of roadway in the Gort and South Galway have been closed by Galway Co. Council due to flooding as well as one each in the Tuam and Athenry/Turloughmore area.

Galway IFA Chairman, Pat Murphy, told the Connacht Tribune that many farmers and householders were on high alert this week but so far had been ‘saved’ by intermittent dry days following on from the wetter spells.

“There’s no doubt about it but that a lot of people are very worried as the water levels and the turloughs rise – they are monitoring the situation very closely.

“A lot of land is under water across South Galway and there’s a fear that if things get worse, it will be back to the days of 2009 and 2016 when the situation got very serious,” said Pat Murphy.

The latest Met Éireann rainfall statistics for their station in Athenry indicated on Wednesday that January has been our wettest month in over two years with 169mms. of rainfall (6.7 inches) from the 1st to the 30th of the month.

This followed on from a very wet December – 157mms. or 6.2 inches – and this in turn carried on from a wetter than average Autumn period.

January has been our wettest month since the downpours of December 2015 (nearly 300mms. or 11.8 inches) that led to the serious flooding crisis of early 2016.

Local Gort councillor, Gerry Finnerty, told the Connacht Tribune, that hundreds of acres of farmland were under water across South Galway but, that thanfully so far, the water hadn’t got into any sheds or houses.

“Families and individuals are very much on edge this week as the water levels continue to rise but they’re pinning their hopes on a drier start to February that’s being predicted in some quarters.

“It is though a very worrying time for those people affected and the floods will impact badly on the grass growth and fertility of lands through the critical Spring period,” said Cllr. Finnerty.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.