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Antrim Flood Chaos: Trapped Couple Rescued Amidst Delays
29 Jan
Summary
- A couple was trapped for many hours in their flooded Antrim home.
- Department of Infrastructure cited delays and communication issues during Storm Chandra.
- Another yellow weather warning is active for rain across Northern Ireland.
Storm Chandra caused significant flooding across a large geographical area in Antrim, leading to delays and communication issues, according to the Department of Infrastructure (DfI). A married couple, David Letherman and Jim Cunningham, were trapped in their Riverside home for many hours as floodwaters rose, submerging their kitchen. They were rescued by firefighters on Tuesday evening.
The DfI representative, Gary Quinn, acknowledged the delays and communication problems, stating that the department would review the incident and act on any identified failures. He noted that over a thousand calls were handled across roads and rivers, with approximately 600 flooding incidents. While DfI workers provided sandbags early on, there were difficulties with pumping water at the Riverside site.
Further rainfall is expected as a yellow weather warning is in effect for all of Northern Ireland from midnight Thursday until 10:00 on Friday. Widespread rainfall of 10-25mm is forecast, with potentially higher amounts in mountainous areas. Winds will also strengthen but will not be as severe as during Storm Chandra.
Concerns remain high for areas like Portadown and Lough Neagh due to elevated water levels. In the Republic of Ireland, similar weather disruption is occurring, with a rain warning in effect for several southern counties. The Met Office indicated that further localized flooding is likely.
