North west floods: Strabane residents 'feel let down'

Some residents in the Ballycolman Estate say they feel let down and forgotten over flooding

Some residents in Strabane, County Tyrone, have said they feel "let down and forgotten about" after flooding.

More than 400 homes in the north west reported flood damage to Derry City and Strabane District Council following the torrential downpour last month.

Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd announced a short-term flood alleviation scheme to help residents in the Ballycolman estate on 4 August.

Work on this scheme is scheduled to be completed by the end of the month.

But some residents have said there has been a lack of communication with the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) over the scheduled work and that progress has been slow.

Previously, the department said the scheme intends to redirect excess water away from homes in the area during flooding and direct it towards council-owned land instead.

Other flood schemes are also being considered by the department in parts of Londonderry and Eglinton.

It is understood 70mm of rain fell in the space of five hours on 23 July, overwhelming many river banks and drainage systems in the north west.

Six people were rescued by emergency services and the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) said crews received more than 100 calls and responded to 49 incidents.

Mr O'Dowd met with residents affected by flooding in the Ballycolman estate back in July and the minister is set to visit residents again on Tuesday.

Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd met with residents in the north west affected by flooding earlier this year

"I feel let down badly because nothing seems to have been done," Paul Devine told BBC Radio Foyle.

"I spent a fortune getting the floors put down and getting the suite dried out, I can't go through that again.

"I am 82 years old and I can't be dealing with this."

Mr Devine said he had re-laid his wooden floor three times because of flooding since he moved to the area, and said that any time there is a weather warning he "fears the worst".

Up to 70mm of rain fell in the space of five hours on 23 July, overwhelming many river banks and drainage systems in the north west

Maria Duffy said that she "cannot relax" in her own home due to water damage from the flooding.

"The house is dirty, it is rotting and there is now a smell... you just can't relax there to tell you the truth."

Emma Relf has said the communication between the department and the residents over the planned work has been poor.

"As yet, we haven't really been given any final date or know exactly what's happening," Ms Relf said.

"As a community here, from what we have gone through, we have got nothing."

Ms Relf said many residents are constantly "living on edge" and that she will be raising her concerns with Mr O'Dowd when he visits the area on Tuesday.

'Not forgotten about'

"We hope to see him this week, we hope he can give us an actual start date.

"We can live in hope that this is a great scheme and it can work, we are very grateful for it, but remember this is a short-term solution.

"We still haven't got this short-term solution, and I really hope this is not forgotten about."

BBC News NI approached the Department for Infrastructure about details surrounding the temporary flood alleviation scheme.

The department said that Mr O'Dowd would not be making any further comment on the scheme at this time and confirmed he is visiting the Ballycolman estate on Tuesday.