The cost of repairing the damage done in the county as a result of recent heavy rainfall has come to €678,000 since January this year.
Director of Services John Mulholland told the members of Kilkenny County Council this week that the recent floods cost the council €428,000 while a further €150,000 was spent on flood repairs and prevention methods in January of this year.
The largest amount of money was allocated to the Piltown electoral area where a whopping €187,000 was spent on repairs following flooding. Thomastown electoral area required 148,000 while the Ballyragget electoral area needed €93,000 to repair damages done to the area following flooding.
The members heard that a typical summer’s rainfall fell in about ten hours over the weekend of August 16 - 17 causing serious flooding throughout the county.
In a report carried out by Mr Mulholland he said that “it is apparent that the rainfall over the county in the early hours of Saturday morning was of near record intensity and amount,” and “the wettest ever day in Kilkenny is recorded for July 17 1983 when 66.4 mm fell.”
The average long term rainfall for the months of June or July is roughly 50mm per month. Some 41.0 mm of rain was recorded at Clonassy Waterworks rain gauge in Kilkenny on August 16 last.
“Therefore it is safe to conclude that many parts of the county received a typical summer month’s rainfall in about nine or 10 hours,” said Mr Mulholland.
