Downpours flood whole areas of city

Hundreds of homeowners reported flooding problems as the rain left many roads impassable.

A landslide in the Brokerstown Road area reduced traffic to one lane. Other roads reduced to one lane included Belsize Road, North Lisburn Feeder Road and Derriaghy Road. The Mullaghcarton Road was blocked due to debris and flooding.

Kingsway in Dunmurry and Upper Dunmurry Lane were described by some as looking like “a massive lake” and there were reports that the local Tesco had to close for a while.

Commenting on Facebook Lisburn Mayor, Alderman William Leathem said: “Terrible for the people to have their homes flooded. The Council has staff out assisting the River agency with sand bags.”

He continued: “So we now have sandbags at the ready, everyone is out on the street preparing for the next downpour.”

On lady who lives at Thaxton Village said she had never seen rain like it. “The builders have been here for the last hour, building trenches to allow the water to drain away and opening manholes and my partner is away to the neighbours to help them to rescue as much furniture as possible.”

One Facebook user said a house at Fulmar Avenue had been “totally flooded”. He added: “A fire man walked through the water to get into the house and it was up to his waist! Its flowing like a river, poor people.”

Councillor John Palmer went to the Ballymacash Road after receiving a call from a concerned resident. He said: “A small stream running into a culvert at the Ballymacash Road at its junction with Prince William Road had got blocked with debris causing the stream to rise about three foot above the blocked culvert. The water was running down the Ballymacash road flooding some houses in the Orange Hall Lane, Thistlemount area and also Lombard Drive.

“The Rivers Agency delivered sand bags and managed to partially clear the blockage and are to return in the morning to remove heavy debris trapped at the bottom of the steel grating covering the culvert. I would like to commend the local people who had come out to help their neighbours from being severly flooded placing whatever was at hand across drive ways to divert and prevent water flooding into people’s property.”

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