Flooding nightmare

The deluge on Monday night, thought to contain a month’s rain in one massive downpour lasting more than seven hours, means that this October has seen a 60 per cent increase in precipitation levels according to some weather analysts.

Unfortunately for motorists and those living in low-lying areas or in the path of the torrents of free-flowing water, there is yet more to come.

On Monday diversions were put in place as water run-off left some roads, particularly in rural areas in dangerous condition, and there were hazardous driving conditions in Drumahoe, Newbuildings, Donemana, Artigarvan and further afield.

In Artigarvan a garden wall gave way sending a tidal wave of hundreds of gallons of water into domestic gardens, causing damage to everything in its path, while in Newbuildings residents at the back of Silverbrook Park faced the misery of yet another clean up as water ran off nearby fields through gardens and into privately owned garages, destroying shrubbery and equipment.

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