Watch: Several Cork City streets flooded for second consecutive night
Mall South The Jack This Flooding On White/twitter Evening Picture:
Several streets in and around Cork City centre flooded for a second consecutive night on Sunday, as astronomical tides coincided with the Cork Jazz Festival, one of the city's busiest weekends of the year.
Following flooding and traffic disruption on Saturday evening, water began gushing onto Morrisons Island today shortly after 5pm on Sunday.
On Sunday afternoon, Cork City Council warned motorists to avoid driving through and parking in low-lying areas of the city amid fears of further flooding.
Before high tide on Sunday reached its peak at around 5.42pm, spot floods appeared on the South Mall moving onto Crane Lane, Oliver Plunkett Street and Winthrop Street.
Within 20 minutes, most of the South Mall was submerged in water while its adjoining streets were hit with spot floods as drains began to overflow.
Oliver Plunkett Street too quickly became submerged as water moved down from the South Mall.
— Jack White (@JackWhiteJ) October 29, 2023
People were seen rushing to get their parked cars out of Morrison's Island while others resorted to taking shoes and socks off to get through the water.
Those in the Imperial Hotel on the South Mall and in surrounding bars on Pembroke Street and the Crane Lane were left with no option but to wait it out indoors or walk through water that was at least up to their ankles.
Hundreds along limited dry parts of land on the South Mall and Oliver Plunkett Street were left dumbfounded at the scenes, unsure what to do while others were trying each and every way to get out of the city.
People rushing to get their cars out of Morrisons Island pic.twitter.com/OGkYh9GLfK
— Jack White (@JackWhiteJ) October 29, 2023
“This is like end of days shit,” said one passerby.
South Mall had been reduced to one lane of traffic, but as floodwaters began to recede from about 7pm, all of its lanes were reopened.
Wandesford Quay, Lavitt's Quay, and the South Terrace were also also forced to close to traffic.
Other impacted streets included:
- Sawmill Street;
- Rutland Street;
- White Street;
- Phoenix Street;
- Crane Lane;
- Withrop Street;
- Union Quay;
- and Crosses' Green.
Seems to be worse than last night - now spreading to bars and restaurants hosting hundreds for the Jazz weekend pic.twitter.com/zdKH7ZwGuH
— Jack White (@JackWhiteJ) October 29, 2023
The flooding, both last night and tonight, will have come as unwelcome news to the more than 100,000 predicted to take city's streets for the Cork Jazz Festival over the Bank Holiday weekend.