SDLP Councillor Laura Devlin says “Newcastle cannot keep reliving this nightmare”
Newcastle has been flooded… again!
SDLP Councillor Laura Devlin has said that the latest flooding in Newcastle is a devastating reminder of the failure to deliver much needed infrastructure improvements when torrential rain has again left homes affected by flood water.
Cllr Devlin said: “This isn’t the first time Newcastle has been brought to a standstill by flooding and sadly, it won’t be the last unless serious action is taken. The people of Newcastle have endured this nightmare time and again.
“Every heavy downpour now comes with fear and uncertainty for families and business owners who have already been through enough.”
“This latest flooding appears to be caused by runoff from the surrounding mountains and saturated ground, overwhelming the town’s drainage systems.
“The water has simply nowhere to go. It’s coming down from the hills in volumes our drains just can’t cope with. Once again, local people are being left to deal with the consequences of inaction.”
“The response on the ground from emergency services and Government agencies has been swift, and I want to put on record my thanks to all those involved, but it’s not enough to keep patching things up after every crisis. And it is helped by the strong community spirt here in Newcastle, with people coming together to help their neighbours, but they shouldn’t have to keep doing this.
“We need to see real investment in flood our drainage infrastructure. Newcastle cannot keep reliving this nightmare.”
Cllr Devlin urged people to avoid unnecessary travel, warning that vehicles driving through flood water are making conditions worse by pushing water towards homes, and encouraged residents to report incidents directly to the Flood Line on 0300 2000 100 to ensure assistance is directed quickly.
[ note: featured photo from August 2020 showing the devastation back then].
RELATED POST:
November 2023:
