Storm Chandra inspired Louth developer to roll out AI flood warning app in just five days

By Olivia Ryan, The Drogheda Independent

A new local flood awareness system, FloodWatch, has been launched as a pilot in Blackrock village in Louth to help residents and visitors better understand when coastal flooding conditions are expected.

The announcement came as flooding caused road closures once again in Blackrock on Tuesday afternoon, with both the main road from Dundalk and the main street in the village impacted.

FloodWatch is an early-stage AI modelling system that brings together Met Éireann weather warnings with tide timing and height data to highlight periods when coastal conditions are most sensitive.

Rather than predicting flooding, the system is designed to raise awareness when factors such as very high tides and weather conditions overlap.

The system has been developed over a five-day period by Jascom Ltd, a Blackrock-based digital solutions company, in response to recent flooding and overtopping events along the village seafront. FloodWatch is now live on www.visitblackrock.ie, where users can view the current status, upcoming high tides and a 24-hour outlook showing how risk sensitivity may change over time.

Jason McGee, Director of Jascom Ltd, said: “FloodWatch was built quickly in response to what we were seeing on the ground in Blackrock. It uses an algorithm to combine multiple data sources and highlight when conditions are most sensitive — particularly around very high tides. It’s not a flood warning system, but it gives people clearer, earlier awareness so they can make informed decisions.”

The system uses publicly available data sources, including Met Éireann weather alerts and tide data and applies a locally tuned risk model based on coastal behaviour observed in Blackrock. FloodWatch may indicate heightened risk even during calm weather when exceptionally high tides occur.

Mr McGee added: “This is very much an early-stage pilot. The aim is to test how useful this type of local, data-led awareness tool can be, learn from real events, and improve it over time.”

FloodWatch is not an emergency alert service and does not replace official advice from Met Éireann or emergency services. Residents are always advised to follow official warnings and guidance.

For more information see visitblackrock.ie/floodwatch