Northern Ireland: Homes flooded and travel hit by Storm Bert
Houses located close to Moat Park in Dundonald were some of those impacted by the flooding.
Several houses in counties Down and Tyrone have experienced flooding due to prolonged heavy rainfall and strong winds brought on by Storm Bert.
On Saturday, some people in Dundonald found themselves trapped in their homes because of the rising floodwaters, and around 10 houses in Coalisland may have been affected by the flooding.
Communities Minister Gordon Lyons later introduced an emergency payment program. This allows homeowners who have experienced significant difficulties due to flooding to apply for a £1,000 grant through their local council.
Travel faced significant interruptions on Saturday, as roads and train services were impacted by floodwaters, fallen trees, and various other obstacles.
Around 1,100 customers remained powerless at 4:15 PM GMT, as Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) reported that as many as 6,500 were without electricity during the height of the storm.
Three fire trucks were dispatched to Park Avenue in Dundonald, where several residents found themselves trapped due to flooding in the lower levels of their homes.
Local resident Sarah Kirkwood noticed the water rising in the street around 7:00 AM GMT on Saturday, prompting her to leave her home.
She called the flood incident hotline at the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) to request sandbags.
"I informed them about the conditions outside; the water was rising from the storm drains," she said in an interview with BBC News NI.
Ms. Kirkwood shared that the region was susceptible to flooding, although the water had never actually reached her house in the past.
"It happens each year around the middle of the street, and they've been making some improvements... so we assumed everything was being taken care of," she remarked.
When Ms. Kirkwood returned from getting sandbags, she discovered that her property was already under water, which made her feel quite upset.
Even with everything that has happened, Ms. Kirkwood expressed that she feels "lucky" to have relatives to stay with while her home is being repaired.
It is clear that temporary housing has been arranged for individuals who cannot go back to their residences.
Sarah Kirkwood mentions that she was having conversations with her neighbors through their upstairs windows while they were all confined to their homes.
In the meantime, houses in Kings Row, Coalisland, have also been affected.
Dan Kerr, a councillor from Mid Ulster, shared with BBC News NI that several local residents—about three or four—reached out to him regarding flooding in their homes.
He mentioned that firefighters and personnel from the Rivers Agency responded to the location, and they had obtained sandbags from a local Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) club.
Danny Ard, the Group Commander of the Fire Service, stated that there might be as many as 10 properties affected by flooding. However, firefighters won't be able to provide an exact number until the water levels go down.
Mr. Ard mentioned that a mail sorting facility in Mallusk, Newtownabbey, had also experienced flooding.
We utilized three pumps and one high-capacity pump to remove the water.
Three fire trucks were deployed to lower the water levels in Coalisland.
The Dundonald floods occurred on Park Avenue, just off Comber Road.
At the location: Locals were confined.
written by Linzi Lima, BBC News NI journalist based in Dundonald
The fire department was using water hoses on Park Avenue, assisting several residents who were trapped inside their homes.
Kelly Kitchen's son and his partner were among the local residents affected. Kelly shared that her son informed her he woke up this morning after 9:00 AM to discover that his home had been inundated with water.
He couldn’t get away. A video captured his house, revealing a refrigerator drifting in the kitchen and several inches of filthy water covering the ground floor.
A few locals sought refuge in a nearby church hall to keep warm and avoid the rain while the operation was taking place.
The train route connecting Belfast and Antrim was temporarily shut down but is now back in operation. Additionally, the line between Belfast and Dublin has reopened as well, according to Translink, the public transportation provider.
Ballypatrick in County Antrim experienced the highest winds in Northern Ireland, reaching 67 mph. Meanwhile, Derrylin in County Fermanagh saw a remarkable amount of rain, receiving 25% of its typical November rainfall within just 12 hours overnight.
Previously, the TrafficWatchNI service indicated that driving conditions were "extremely challenging" in certain elevated regions, such as the Glenshane Pass, Windyhill Road in Limavady, and Glenpark Road in Omagh.
A snowplow became stuck in the snow on Coleraine Mountain Road, which was also shut down for some time.
Translink provides a comprehensive list of all its bus and train services that are currently affected on its website.
Drivers have been alerted to challenging road conditions.
In the Republic of Ireland, approximately 34,000 households are experiencing power outages following the arrival of Storm Bert during the night.
Met Éireann, the national weather service of Ireland, has announced red alerts due to significant rainfall in western Cork and western Galway.
Photos shared online seemed to indicate that the River Feale in western Limerick had overflowed its banks.
In County Donegal, significant flooding occurred on Bridge Street in Killybegs.
The county was severely impacted by power outages, and the strongest wind gusts recorded across the entire island of Ireland reached 71 mph (114 kph) at Malin Head in this county.
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Stronger winds are on the way.
Written by Cecelia Daly, weather presenter for BBC News NI.
Storm Bert isn't done impacting us just yet. We're expecting a new wave of powerful winds to come in on Sunday, leading the Met Office to issue a yellow weather warning for strong winds. This warning is in effect from 11:00 to 18:00 GMT on Sunday.
On Saturday afternoon, the wind dropped considerably, but it is expected to pick up again during the night.
Recent heavy rainfall, along with melting snow, has resulted in flooding in several regions as rivers overflow. The risk of flooding will persist as the melting snow continues to flow into the river system.
The Met Office reports that powerful southwesterly winds are anticipated to begin on Sunday morning throughout Northern Ireland.
Widespread winds are anticipated to reach speeds of 45-55 mph, with potential gusts hitting up to 65 mph in hilly areas and along exposed coastal regions.
The highest wind speeds will be comparable to those experienced on Saturday, which may lead to more damage and disruptions.
