“This is essential in light of predicted increased rainfall due to climate change. The cost of a sophisticated system is not trivial and will run to several million euro. This investment is vital and central government should urgently commit the necessary resources to the agencies involved: the ESB; the OPW; the EPA  and Local authorities.
 
Now that drinking water supplies in Cork are back on tap and the emergency relief work is nearing completion, it is appropriate to turn our attention to the causes of the flood that hit Cork on Friday, November 20 and to plan for such events in the future.”
 
Questions that need to be asked include:

• What rain fell on the upper Lee catchment in the days and weeks before the flood?
• Did the rain that fell on the Lee catchment (upstream of Inniscarra) produce an 800 year flood into the Inniscarra Lake?     
• Did the water release from Inniscarra dam exacerbate the situation?
• Was there concern that the dam could overtop and that water release was the safer decision?  
• Were water levels held high in the lakes in the period leading up to the flood and if so, why?
• What systems are currently in place for flood monitoring and flood warning?

“The Department of the Environment need to commission a Cork Flood Study to ensure that Cork is best protected and forewarned for the future,” says Professor Kiely.
Its brief should include:

• to investigate the meteorology and  hydrology of  the November 20, 2009 flood in Cork
• to investigate the systems operational for flood monitoring,  management and warning
• to investigate possible dam overtopping scenarios
• to investigate the case for  a statutory highest water level for the dam
• to investigate the priorities of flood protection versus power production
• to investigate  and cost the optimum flood warning system for Cork

 Picture: Professor Ger Kiely, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UCC

RMcD

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