Storm Eleanor wreaks havoc on the west

STORM Eleanor battered the west coast to leave a trail of destruction behind her – including one of the biggest and fastest ever floodwater surges ever experienced in Galway city.

High tides, a swell on the bay, surging water levels on the Corrib, heavy rains and the winds of Storm Eleanor all combined to wreak havoc on business premises and apartments close to the Spanish Arch and Docks area of Galway city.

One local businessman and local city councillor, Niall McNelis, told the Connacht Tribune how the water surge at around 5.15pm on Tuesday evening left him ‘up to his waist’ in water at his shop in the Spanish Arch area.

“I have been flooded before but I never saw anything like this. Within minutes, the water was up to my waist, and I’m 6’3” tall. It was frightening – we had never seen anything like this before,” said Niall McNelis.

He said, that in his opinion, no temporary measure could have averted the flood problems of Tuesday evening last. “What we need, and need urgently, are permanent flood defences. Hard decisions have to be made and made quickly,” said Cllr. McNelis.

As well as the damage he suffered in his jewellery shop, his car that he had parked at Raven Terrace was also seriously damaged in the floodwater surge.

The Prom in Salthill was also closed on Tuesday evening as the waters surged over the rock defences with the flooding extending into areas closer to the city centre such as Quay Street, Fr. Griffin Road, Dominick Street and Merchant’s Road.

Flood Relief Minister, Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran, who visited Galway city on Wednesday morning, said that temporary measures were not sufficient to deal with the intensity of the flooding that occurred last Tuesday evening.

He said that Galway city was one of 47 schemes approved for special permanent flood defences to be put in place and he vowed to ‘do what was necessary’ to get these underway as soon as possible.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.