Deluge of rain brings disruption to roads across the district

On one of the worst affected roads, the Lurgan Road, Dromore, an emergency closure was put in place after heavy overnight rain caused subsidence between the Monree Road and Lisnasure Road.

Motorists met with the closure during rush hour traffic on Wednesday morning.

The diversion remains in place while emergency repairs are being carried out and traffic is being diverted via Lisnasure Road, Moygannon Road, Donaghcloney Road and Blackskull Road.

Describing the flooding damage as having an ‘horrendous’ effect on lives and livelihoods local Ulster Unionist MLA Jo-Anne Dobson said: “On Friday I arranged for senior officials to join me with home-owners and businesses affected by severe flooding at the damaged Lurgan Road.

“In this and other local areas it will take those affected many months to fix the damage and for the businesses affected to get back up and running.”

“Danny Kennedy will continue to work at contributing to a co-ordinated response in these difficult times.

“I would encourage the Sinn Fein Agriculture Minister Michelle O`Neill, responsible for Rivers, to begin to do the same.”

Wednesday also saw the A1 southbound carriageway between Dromore and Banbridge at the Gowdystown Road closed for a while due to flooding, with a contraflow in operation and there were delays at Katesbridge.

As rains eased, surface water continued to be a problem with police issuing a warning to motorists to drive with extreme caution particularly on the A1 carriageway in the Banbridge area due to flooding at several locations.

By Thursday afternoon the Met Office had issued yet another Amber warning to prepare for more rain especially for rest of the afternoon.

During this time the police issued a further warning: “Due to the extremely heavy rain fall the A1 carriageway at Banbridge heading north towards Lisburn is heavily flooded in parts causing delays. Some cars have already got stuck in the floods. No matter how much you think your car can float it won’t - it’s not a boat, so avoid the floods.”

Police also issued warnings about the water level of the Bann and Lagan describing them as dangerously high and fast flowing, and they urged everyone to take care in Solitude and Dromore parks.

Under the circumstances they were particularly concerned about the removal of two life rings in Dromore park and described it as ‘anti-social behaviour at its worst’.