G LASVEY Close bore the brunt of flooding in the Twinbrook area of West Belfast with water pouring into the small residential cul-de-sac from a newly-constructed walkway off the Stewartstown Road.
The resulting deluge left small bungalows in the close submerged to knee-level in flood water, with nearby nursing home Pine Tree Manor also affected, but to a lesser extent.
One elderly Glasvey Court resident required hospital treatment after she slipped and fell in flood waters outside her home.
Padraig Fox said his mother Marie would suffer badly from the effects of the flood due to ongoing health problems.
“She has chronic asthma, bad mental health and a sore back so this isn’t good for her,” he said.
“It was said on the news two nights ago that this weather was coming yet nothing was done. She has no insurance so God knows where she will get the money to clear up this mess.”
Paddy Ferguson described the flood water as “sloshing down from the Stewartstown Road like a river”.
“There was just nothing you could do, it was as if it came out of nowhere,” said Paddy.
“I tried calling Northern Ireland Water for what seemed like ages and no-one answered us. I ended up calling the police and they said they would pass our details on. I have no insurance as I cannot afford it. I don’t know what I’m going to do as the house is ruined.”
Local Sinn Féin Councillor Stephen Magennis hit out at Lisburn City Council and the Rivers Agency for their failure to responde to the residents of Glasvey Close.
“The Rivers Agency were called at 8.30pm on the night of the flooding for sandbags,” he said.
“They were called again at midnight. No bags arrived until noon today [Thursday]. People are having to throw out their floors, carpets and furniture for something that the statutory agencies failed to act on.
“Only the Housing Executive has stepped up to the mark here.”
We’re paying enough as it is, thank you
‘Water filled street in minutes flowing over garden walls’
River of mud rolled down the street
