# Dublin Floods Sat 9 Aug - is your house affected?



## Ris (9 Aug 2008)

Hi everyone

Sad to say my house was flooded this evening in Ballymun, Dublin 11. Im not there at the moment. Im on holidays in Co. Wicklow. My daughter phoned me with the bad news. Neighbours and friends have helped to clean up and dug up part of the back garden to try and get more drainage for the water run-off. I understand other houses in the immediate area were also flooded up to knee high. Im heading back up in the morning to survey the damage for myself.

Has anyone else been directly affected by these floods? I know the rains have been bad but the risk of flood in Dublin these days is getting ridiculous. In my area I am putting it down to too much building in one small area, i.e. the regeneration project. Almost all the green spaces have now been built on and there is nowhere for the water to go. Im beside myself with anger about this.


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## ClubMan (9 Aug 2008)

Sorry to hear about your experience but I don't really understand your point. Are you suggesting that the flooding may have been due in part (or full?) to overdevelopment or something? And that this may land liability at somebody else's door? The rain today was pretty mad and I saw places flooded that I never saw flooded before or only after several days worth of rain. I'd be angry too if my house was flooded. But I wouldn't necessarily be looking to blame it on anybody else.


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## Ris (10 Aug 2008)

Hi Clubman

Yes I do think that the flooding is, for the most part, related to over-development without proper drainage infrastructure. The fact that places are being flooded that never flooded before certainly lends weight to that theory. 

Im just concerned about the future. If we are to expect this type of weather more and more in the future, surely we need to ask the question of whether there is a link between over-development and flooding. I know its not an exact science but it stands to reason in my opinion that there is a link. Also my home never flooded before and I have seen some torrential downpours over the years.

I was just wondering if other areas were affected that hadnt been affected before and if there was a lot of recent development in and around those areas. I guess if I had enough posts I probably would have put this in Letting Off Steam!

Cheers


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## ClubMan (10 Aug 2008)

The places that I saw flooded today have not seen any significant local (re)development over about 40+ years. I suspect that it's simply a case of this being a large contributory factor to today's problems in parts of _Dublin_.


> The rain over the last 24 hours in Dublin came close to breaking the record for a single 24-hour period in August.
> Dublin Airport got 56 mms of rain in 24 hours. The record is held by August 1986, when there was 60mm, caused by Hurricane Charlie


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## aircobra19 (10 Aug 2008)

Sounds more like a local issue of poor drainage than over development. One thing has nothing to do with the other IMO. Unlucky. Hope you get it sorted.


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## ang1170 (10 Aug 2008)

It's not overdevelopment per se that causes the problem, it's development that runs ahead of the infrastructure to support it (in this case drainage). Either the infrastructure should be upgraded (and there is a limit to what can be done here: it's just a bad idea to develop some flood plains for example except to a very limited extent), or planning permission should not be given.

Of course, our planning system has perfectly adaquate checks and balances to make sure this doesn't happen......

One final point, Clubman: if you don't believe development can cause flooding, why are some areas flooding consistently now, when they weren't 22 years ago when there was an even greater downpoar in a short period?


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## aircobra19 (10 Aug 2008)

Thats not overdevelopment just bad development. Even then very hard to cater for flash floods that happen once in a blue moon.

Poor planning seems rife in Ireland.


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## ClubMan (10 Aug 2008)

ClubMan said:


> The places that I saw flooded today have not seen any significant local (re)development over about 40+ years. I suspect that it's simply a case of this being a large contributory factor to today's problems in parts of _Dublin_.
> 
> 
> > The rain over the last 24 hours in Dublin came close to breaking the record for a single 24-hour period in August.
> > Dublin Airport got 56 mms of rain in 24 hours. The record is held by August 1986, when there was 60mm, caused by Hurricane Charlie


Seemingly this record has since been beaten.



ang1170 said:


> One final point, Clubman: if you don't believe development can cause flooding, why are some areas flooding consistently now, when they weren't 22 years ago when there was an even greater downpoar in a short period?


Er - I never said that I didn't. My point was that the record breaking torrential rain yesterday in the _Dublin _area was likely to be a very significant, if not the main, factor in a lot of flooding in the past 24 hours or so.


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## BOXtheFOX (10 Aug 2008)

I have been trying since last March to get my local Fine Gael T.D. on Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council to do something about the blocked storm drains on our road. To date nothing has been done. The only thing I got from her was that the roads department in Dun Laoghaire assured her that they were cleaned out last November and that they only have two machines capable of doing this task. I have assured her that they were not cleaned out last November. I have now taken a photograph and I intend sending her the image of the green growth sprouting from the drains. This is causing minor flooding where I live but could easily turn in to something more serious.


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## ClubMan (10 Aug 2008)

If it's a case of leaves/sludge blocking them would you and/or your neighbours not consider seeing if you can unblock them yourselves? Some people took it upon themselves to do this yesterday to alleviate local flooding due to drains blocked by leaves etc. Of course if the problem is due to more than just debris/leaves then it's a job for the local authority. Obviously some people will say why should I, I'm paying my taxes, blah, blah, blah but if it happens to be a problem that can be simply rectified then why not just do it?


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## putsch (10 Aug 2008)

Sympathies to OP. I have often wondered myself about the impact of disappearing grassy areas on flooding in general. I have seen reports that the impact in London of people cementing over their front gardens has led to a significantly greater risk of flooding. It seems to stand to reason that if the normal seepage and drainage routes are covered over then there will be more flooding.
While the policy of encouraging infill development close to the city seems sensible I do think that its important that drainage and seepage is maintained.


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## aircobra19 (10 Aug 2008)

I think you are completely overestimating the amount of natural drainage from a green area.


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## ang1170 (10 Aug 2008)

ClubMan said:


> Er - I never said that I didn't.


 
Maybe you should read your 1st post on this, again?

Over- or just plain-bad development, call it what you will, it's certainly a factor, which is the point the OP was making. 

My parents house has now had sewage backing up through a manhole in their garden twice in the last six months. There has been huge amounts of development (most of it contrary to the council's own development plan) in the area over the last 10 years. And then some people are surprised at the extent of the flooding.

Clearly, the fact it rained so hard in such a short period of time is the primary cause, but bad planning has a lot to answer for.


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## Eanair (10 Aug 2008)

I'm not in Ireland at the moment and can't get anyone to check my house - is there a list anywhere online of the worst affected areas?


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## ClubMan (10 Aug 2008)

Might be easier if you just say where your house is and others might able to give you an update? I know that parts (but not all) of _Cabra, Blanchardstown _and _Celbridge _were badly affected but other areas might also have been affected too.


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## ClubMan (10 Aug 2008)

ang1170 said:


> Maybe you should read your 1st post on this, again?


I did - and I never said what you implied or claimed that I said:


ClubMan said:


> Sorry to hear about your experience but I don't really understand your point. Are you suggesting that the flooding may have been due in part (or full?) to overdevelopment or something? And that this may land liability at somebody else's door? The rain today was pretty mad and I saw places flooded that I never saw flooded before or only after several days worth of rain. I'd be angry too if my house was flooded. But I wouldn't necessarily be looking to blame it on anybody else.





ang1170 said:


> One final point, Clubman: if you don't believe development can cause flooding, why are some areas flooding consistently now, when they weren't 22 years ago when there was an even greater downpoar in a short period?





ClubMan said:


> Er - I never said that I didn't.


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## Ris (10 Aug 2008)

Eanair said:


> I'm not in Ireland at the moment and can't get anyone to check my house - is there a list anywhere online of the worst affected areas?


 
This link gives some of the areas affected

[broken link removed]


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## aircobra19 (11 Aug 2008)

ang1170 said:


> ...
> Over- or just plain-bad development, call it what you will, it's certainly a factor, which is the point the OP was making.
> 
> My parents house has now had sewage backing up through a manhole in their garden twice in the last six months. There has been huge amounts of development (most of it contrary to the council's own development plan) in the area over the last 10 years. And then some people are surprised at the extent of the flooding.
> ...


 
Bad development and overdevelopment are not the same thing.


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## Eanair (11 Aug 2008)

> Might be easier if you just say where your house is and others might able to give you an update?



Sorry, yes - that would have been simpler. Dublin 8 - Cork Street area, though I see from Ris's link that this doesn't seem to be one of the affected areas. Thanks.


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## ClubMan (11 Aug 2008)

Yeah - I'm not aware of _Cork Street _having been affected. It's on high ground anyway isn't it so that might have helped.


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## Bamhan (11 Aug 2008)

The flooding in Dublin was not nearly as destructive as the flooding in Newcastle West in County Limerick, or Mallow in County Cork.


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## ang1170 (11 Aug 2008)

ClubMan said:


> Are you suggesting that the flooding may have been due in part (or full?) to overdevelopment or something?.


 


ClubMan said:


> I'd be angry too if my house was flooded. But I wouldn't necessarily be looking to blame it on anybody else.


 
Maybe I misunderstood what you were saying, but I took the above to mean that you were (implicitely) disagreeing with the suggestion of the OP that overdevelopment had a part in the flooding.

If that's not what you are saying, maybe you could clarify? Maybe you agree with him?


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## ClubMan (13 Aug 2008)

My point was that the major contributory factor was most likely simply the extremely heavy rain that we had (c. one month's worth in a 24 hour period if I'm not mistaken) and not other factors such as "over" development etc. That view seems to be supported by coverage of recent events elsewhere.


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## aircobra19 (13 Aug 2008)

Phoenix park had floods in it too. As did roads with little or no development on them.


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## jenzz (16 Aug 2008)

If any one is affected by flood damage dont contact your insurance company contact an assessor - With the estimate of 100m in claims the insurance companies will not doubt be trying to minimise paying out where they can.


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## Ed054 (16 Aug 2008)

I am an assessor and certainly from what I have seen over the past week insurers are are being very tight and in the case of one appartment block have turned down all the claims on the grounds of "structural defect"
If you are looking after a claim yourself and not using the services of an assessor take loads of photos and find as many original invoices as possible.
And most importantly do not accept the insurers first settlement offer.

Ed


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