Dublin Civil Defence play key role in assisting residents effected by floods

Dublin Civil Defence play key role in assisting residents effected by floods

By Laura Lyne

VOLUNTEERS from the Dublin Civil Defence have been working this week to assist with flood relief across the county, and have sent their all-terrain four wheel drive Hagguland truck to assist with the efforts.

For the past few days, the DCD have been assisting people cross impassible roads in County Longford with the vehicle, which runs on tracks and can carry up to 17 people.

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James McConnell, Dublin Civil Defence Officer told The Echo: “We’re in Longford providing relief to help with the impact of flooding in the county.

“It’s quite badly hit down here due to the flooding compared to many areas in Dublin that are on higher ground such as Tallaght and we’re here with our Hagguland vehicle to assist in any way we can.”

James also gave some tips for dealing with flooding in areas with rivers and canals throughout South County Dublin.

He said: “In this kind of weather, it’s very dangerous so it’s important to not walk near banks of rivers. It might not be fully visible, but the ditches are fully flooded.

“When walking, it’s near impossible to tell the depth of water from rivers and canals and before you know it the water could reach halfway up your knee.

“Cars can float if water reaches a height on tyres, and when driving at night it’s particularly hard to see the depth of water that has flooded roads.”

Five volunteers from DCD have been working in Cloondara and Barley Harbour in Longford on a 24-hour rota, and they intend to assist people in the county for as long as required.

The DCD have been working with hundreds of civil defence volunteers across Ireland to provide flood relief to affected areas over the past few weeks, with constant updates on their work across the country available on www.dublincivil defence.com

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