Agencies Defend Flooding Performance In Face Of Critical Report

Agencies that dealt with Belfast's flooding problems in June have defended their handling of the situation.

They were responding to a Belfast City Council report that identified shortcomings in the emergency response to flooding in homes and businesses on June 27.

The flooding was caused by torrential rain and Sarah Venning of Northern Ireland Water told the Regional Development Committee the rainfall was exceptionally heavy.

But Jimmy Spratt, the chairman of the Committee, said there was a confused "tug-of-war" over sandbags between agencies NI Water, the Department for Regional Development and the Rivers Agency.

He said: "I was given assurances on a number of instances that sandbags would arrive, but they never arrived. In some instances they were dropped at street corners. I appreciate you were overwhelmed by the number of calls you had. It was a major one-off, it was unprecedented in terms of the rainfall, but we need to learn lessons."

Ms Venning said the city's drainage system was "completely overwhelmed" by the rainfall.

58mm of rain fell in a few hours in Castlereagh on June 27 – more than in the entire month of May.

"While the suffering of those affected by the flooding events on the 27th cannot be diminished... it's important I thank NI Water staff and their contractors who worked throughout the night and tirelessly through those days that followed," she said.

NI Water is now looking at the sewer network using CCTV to show up any blockages and is monitoring its infrastructure.

A multi-agency review into the flooding is still ongoing.

(NE)