The devastating floods that have hit east Cork are more than just a calamity for the people of Midleton and other affected areas. They are a sign of what other parts of the country can expect as the effects of climate change are manifested in our weather patterns. The science says that our climate is becoming hotter and wetter. What that harmless-enough sounding summary doesn’t fully convey is that this means our weather will become, on occasion, disastrously warmer and irresistibly wetter.
The Government has said that it will act to expand the existing flood compensation scheme beyond the €10 million already committed and the ceiling of €20,000 per business. With some businesses facing damage running into hundreds of thousands of euro, these sums are likely to be multiplied. Government has indicated its willingness to supply additional aid. The people of Midleton and other affected areas need help – and quickly.
But what people in east Cork and west Waterford have experienced this week, others will see in the future. That is a certainty. And that means that preparations for the inevitable floods – and droughts, and storms – must be stepped up.
The preparations to deal with the effects of climate change are not moving quickly enough and they are not extensive enough. A planning application for a new flood-defence system for Midleton was due to be lodged in the first quarter of next year: too late.
It is doubtful whether any flood defence system in Midleton or elsewhere could completely protect householders and businesses from the sudden deluge witnessed this week. Our infrastructure, existing and planned, is not designed to deal with the sort of weather extremes of which this week is a preview. That means that as well as preparing for floods, the Government must also prepare for the reality that demands for compensation and help arising from extreme weather are likely to mushroom in the years to come. These are likely, before long, to run into hundreds of millions or euro every year. Climate change will not only be disruptive. It will be expensive, too.