Severe flooding has hit parts of Northern Ireland today after hours of heavy rain.
Some people in Co Down have been unable to leave their homes after a deluge. Locals say it is the worst they have seen in 40 years.
One said three days’ worth of rain had fallen in a matter of hours.
Earlier, a yellow weather warning for rain had been extended to 3pm on Sunday.
Flooding in Co Down has residents unable to leave homes
In Co Down, people living in Newcastle have been using sandbags to protect their homes after flooding.
Photographs from the scene show roads turned into streams of water.
Naomi Scullin-Ayoub, whose family has lived in Slievemoyne Park in the Co Down seaside town for over 40 years, described it as “the worst flooding we have ever experienced”.
She explained that a speed bump installed over a decade ago traps water in the area, and that blocked drains, which are “rarely cleared,” have made the problem worse.
The mother of two said she became increasingly worried on Sunday that trapped water from rainfall and high tides could flood her home and nearby properties.
“When the water comes down from the Mourne Mountains, it travels down the Tullybrannigan Road and we’re at the bottom of that.
“They put in a speed bump over 10 years ago and it acts as a plug. When water comes in, it has nowhere to go.
“On top of that, they don’t clean our drains frequently enough, and so our park just gets flooded all the time. We have to go through this issue constantly.”
Parts of Newcastle are almost completely submerged
The resident added: “At 9am, I phoned Floodline and was told someone was ‘en route.’ I contacted them multiple times since, and nobody has arrived to help yet.
“The water is literally centimetres from entering our properties. My neighbour went out in wadders, and the water level is just below his waist height. It is so high.
“It’s like a river with nowhere to go, waiting for the next rainfall or high tide to come in, and at least four or five homes will be flooded. I don’t know what to do, we are at a loose end.
“We’ve lived in this property for over 40 years. We have been flooded and out of this property twice. The difference is, when those floods damaged our family home, that water went away in the past, but this water has nowhere to go.”
Residents reportedly call every year requesting that the drains be cleared, but authorities have taken no action so far this year.
“If the drains were cleared, our house could be saved. We are trapped in our property. It’s a few millimetres from our door. We have a floodgate which we got as a precautionary measure, but very soon it will be useless.
“I have two small children, aged two and three and I have two dogs. I can’t let the pets outside because sewage water is surrounding our home. Nobody is doing anything; I am so frustrated.”
The scene in Newcastle after flooding
Willie Clarke described “a river running down the roads” after heavy rain on the Mourne Mountains on Sunday.
He said neighbours on Tullybrannigan Road and nearby streets were out from the early hours armed with shovels and sandbags, working to keep the floodwater away from people’s homes, and described their efforts as “really amazing”.
The Sinn Fein councillor said he was aware of two flooded homes.
The Tullybrannigan road was closed on Sunday, and the PSNI urged caution in the area.
Posting on Facebook they said: “Our partner agencies are working hard to look after the road and local residents so please do not make any unnecessary journeys to the area as this causes more water movement making it a harder job and more dangerous for those working!”
Mr Clarke said that when the water swept down from the mountains it brought with it debris which blocked drains, causing “more havoc”, but said the low tide helped the rainwater disperse.
Flooding in Newcastle, Co Down. (Photograph by Declan Roughan / Press Eye)
A spokesperson for the Department for Infrastructure said the flooding was caused by “surface water run-off from the Mourne Mountains” after heavy overnight rain, adding that there were no reports of rivers causing flooding.
They said more than 900 sandbags were used and their teams cleared the roads of debris, which included large stones.
They said their staff had been “on standby all weekend following the Met Office weather warning issued”.
Samuel Guist, who lives in the Tullybrannigan Road area, said the weather was causing chaos.
“One of my neighbours who has lived here for 40 years said he has never seen anything like it,” he told the BBC.
Flooding on Sunningdale Drove off the Tullyhbrannigan Road in Newcastle, Co Down. (Photograph by Declan Roughan / Press Eye)
Sam Anderson from the Newcastle Regional Community Resilience Group (RCRG) said residents have been “left helpless” despite repeated calls for action on flood prevention.
“Residents aren’t shocked at all at this flooding, as we are always on high alert when there is a heavy rain and particularly a weather warning,” he told the Belfast Telegraph.
“Although this is a yellow warning, about three days’ worth of rain has fallen in the past 24 hours.
“Everybody is watching the drains around them, and some residents have desperately needed sandbags to protect their properties.
“Today, our residents are worried. Over the past two years since the last major flooding, their mental health has been significantly affected, and even light rain now causes major anxiety for some.”
Flooding on Sunningdale Drove off the Tullyhbrannigan Road in Newcastle, Co Down. (Photograph by Declan Roughan / Press Eye)
Alliance Party councillor Jill Truesdale and described seeing the water “funnelling down the mountain”.
“I’ve never seen so much debris come down before, it’s quite frightening,” she told BBC News NI.
She and her family are now unable to leave their house due to the flooding.
“It looks as if we are going to be [trapped] for a while because there’s also a high tide so we won’t be leaving, it’s not worth the risk,” she added.
Flooding on Sunningdale Drove off the Tullyhbrannigan Road in Newcastle, Co Down. (Photograph by Declan Roughan / Press Eye)
The Met Office had predicted that heavy rain will spread across the whole of the region before gradually clearing to the east on Sunday.
Downpours were due to be heaviest in the southeast, with 20-30 mm expected to accumulate widely.
Over the Mournes, 60-100mm were expected to build up much of this falling in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The Met Office added the weather warning will impact on travel.
The Met Office advised people to check if their property could be at risk of flooding.
Travellers should avoid delays by checking road conditions and bus and train timetables, it said.
