MILLIONS OF euro worth of damage was caused to homes and businesses in Newcastlewest early yesterday when the Co Limerick town suffered its worst flooding in living memory.
Shortly after 1am the Arra river burst its banks after four inches of rain - the average amount of rainfall for a month - fell in a matter of hours.
Locals watched in horror as manholes lifted and water gushed along the North and South quays and other adjacent streets in the town.
At its peak up to six feet of water flowed down the street and into buildings, while a number of cars, beer barrels and gas cylinders could be seen floating along the river channel.
An elderly woman had to be airlifted from her house and was treated in hospital for hypothermia, while another couple were rescued from their apartment in the town centre after they became trapped inside their home.
ESB engineers spent yesterday trying to restore power to some 2,500 customers who were left without electricity for most of yesterday.
Nobody was killed or seriously injured in the flooding, which caused severe damage to an estimated 150 homes and businesses.
Devastated business owners spent yesterday counting the cost of the damage as a huge clean-up operation got under way.
"Two inches would be a significant storm, according to weather experts. We had four inches of rain which is the average amount of rainfall for a month in one night," said Limerick county manager Ned Gleeson.
"It was a freak rainfall that hit this particular area with a vengeance. Ultimately nobody could deal with an act of nature like this, but we will be reviewing the services that are in place and when we assess the whole cost to the county council - and it's going to be a very substantial figure - we will be seeking special funding from the Minister for the Environment," he said.
The premises of local auctioneer and insurance broker Pat O'Donovan, who has been based in the town for more than 30 years, were among the worst hit.
Heavy antique desks lay overturned in his office yesterday, while printers also lay strewn on the floor after they were knocked from desktops - such was the force of the water which gushed through the premises.
"I had a message on my phone when I woke up at 6am to get down here, but I never thought it was going to be as bad as this. There was at least four feet of water inside our office even though we are about 40 feet away from the normal level of the river," he said.
Mr O'Donovan, who is spokesman for the Newcastlewest Business Association, said he had been inundated with calls from other business people whose stock was completely destroyed in the flooding.
"People are crying and worried about whether or not the insurance will pay. Others who don't have insurance and whose stock is ruined are devastated," he said.
Eilish Mullane, owner of Kimono ladies' boutique on North Quay, believes she may have lost her entire stock in the flooding.
"I couldn't even get into the shop - there was up to 4½ feet of water inside when I arrived," she said. Opened more than five years ago, the boutique stocks high-end occasion wear, including dresses, designer shoes and Italian handbags.
The 32-year-old owner estimated she had lost tens of thousands of euro worth of stock, including more than 500 dresses, but she was determined to be back in business in a few weeks.
"I couldn't save anything. It's desperate but I have to try to be positive, and hopefully the insurance will cover the damage . . . I will wait and see how the clothes look when they dry out, but I think I have lost it all," she said.
The owners of the Mallard restaurant, which is also located on North Quay, described how their "whole restaurant was floating" after floodwater entered their premises. John and Nora Wallace have run the restaurant in the town for the past 20 years and live over the business.
Dozens of wine bottles, glasses and tables were strewn across the ground floor of the restaurant yesterday as the owners picked their way through the dirt and debris.
"Naturally I was devastated when we came down this morning," said Ms Wallace.
"I could hear the glasses flying off the tables, but I had no idea of the damage until I came down. We watched it all happening from upstairs and we watched the river rise, and of course it was very frightening because we didn't know how long it was going to go on for."
Mr Wallace said "the whole restaurant was floating - there were wine bottles everywhere".
More than 100 emergency workers were involved in yesterday's clean-up operation, including 60 fire personnel from five stations in Limerick and Cork.
Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works Martin Mansergh visited Newcastlewest yesterday to assess the damage.