Tipperary flood defences performed as designed during Storm Chandra
As Storm Chandra battered eastern parts of the country, Tipperary was lucky to be spared the worst of it, with one town’s flood defences working “exactly as designed”.
There were reports of flooding across the county as heavy rain fell on already waterlogged lands, with many roads affected, including Convent Road in Clonmel.
Despite the localised flooding, Tipperary County Council issued an update about the Clonmel Flood Relief Scheme, which the local authority said was performing as planned.
The scheme was delivered in 2012 after a number of flooding incidents in the town.
"After several days of persistent rainfall, the River Suir has risen, with overtopping in a number of areas,” a statement from the council said.
"Our flood protection and maintenance teams, together with the Office of Public Works (OPW), have been actively monitoring and managing the situation throughout the week.
"The flood protection system is performing exactly as designed and continues to safeguard the town,” Tipperary County Council added.
The scheme is designed to allow controlled flooding in certain areas to protect the rest of the town. It includes a removable wall to hold back flood waters when river levels rise significantly, as well as non-return valves to prevent water backing up through road gullies and manholes.
The council said that during Storm Chandra, their teams were inspecting the defences, including checking and maintaining embankments, testing flood barriers and servicing pumping stations.
Council staff also inspected the non-return valves and storm sewers, cleared trash screens, fish passes, manholes, and gullies, as well as continuously monitoring river levels and rainfall forecasts.
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