Council provides assistance as 'Frank' arrives

December 30, 2015

Storm Frank did not fail to deliver on the forecasted wind and rain from Tuesday evening through to Wednesday morning.

On Tuesday evening Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council received a request for assistance from the Rivers Agency.

The Council's Operational Services Unit supplied six members of staff, all of which volunteered to assist, from 11.00pm to work with the Rivers Agency filling sandbags, which could be deployed anywhere in the Eastern Region. 

The Council Officers worked alongside the Rivers Agency until 6.00am filling over 1,500 sandbags. They also undertook grill patrols throughout the Lisburn area as their strong geographical knowledge was of benefit to ensure that grills remained clear of debris to minimise flooding in the area.

The Council also provided vehicles to assist with the delivery of sandbags across the area and its officers provided assistance at Connswater in Belfast, which is an area prone to flooding and there was a concern due to the very high water levels in the area.

This is a good example of partnership working to address an emergency situation that was predicted to cause floods and affect the electricity supply to homes across Northern Ireland. 

Please find below some useful numbers.

Emergency Services - 999 or 112
Northern Ireland Housing Executive - 03448 920 901
Northern Ireland Electricity - 08457 643 643
NI Gas Emergency Service - 0800 002 001
Northern Ireland Water Waterline - 03457 440088
Flooding Incident Line - 0300 2000 100