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During Storm Chandra, a married couple found themselves stranded in their Antrim home as floodwaters rose to thigh height, forcing firefighters to rescue them by dinghy. David Letherman and his husband, Jim Cunningham, had been continuously contacting emergency services throughout Tuesday, desperate for assistance as the flooding worsened around their Riverside neighborhood residence. Letherman described how appliances, such as their fridge and freezer, were afloat in their kitchen, and the lower level of their house had been severely damaged by the floodwater.
Throughout the day, Letherman reached out to both the Department for Infrastructure and the Rivers Service around 9 a.m. GMT, seeking help to pump out the water pooling outside their house. As evening fell, the couple found themselves unable to leave, with the outside water too deep for safe exit. Fortunately, an off-duty firefighter learned of their situation and arrived to aid in their evacuation, ensuring their safe removal from the flooded property.
Storm Chandra brought heavy rainfall, causing a record-breaking 100.8mm fall in Katesbridge, County Down, marking the wettest single day since records began, surpassing the previous 70.7mm set in 1986. With multiple disruptions caused by the storm, thousands of customers who had lost electricity have now had power restored. However, some roads remained closed after the storm, including parts of the A51 Armagh Road near Tandragee, Blaris Road in Lisburn, and Hilltown Road close to Newry. Transportation disruptions extended to Belfast City Airport with most Tuesday departures canceled, though normal schedules were expected to resume the following day. The Strangford Ferry also resumed service after being suspended due to the weather.
Sporting events were not spared either, as the BetMcLean Cup semi-final match scheduled between Glentoran and Coleraine was postponed because the pitch was waterlogged and damaged by Storm Chandra’s impact. This game was rescheduled for the following Tuesday, with a contingency plan to move to an alternative venue if weather conditions persisted. Another semi-final between Linfield and Ballymena United was also delayed due to ongoing weather warnings.
Storm Chandra, named by the Met Office, follows the earlier January storms Goretti and Ingrid, which brought significant damage and disruption. The naming of storms follows an alphabetical sequence revealed each September, with this season beginning in October with Amy and continuing with Bram in December.
In the Republic of Ireland, the town of Enniscorthy suffered major flooding, affecting around 30 homes and 20 businesses. Power outages were widespread, though the numbers had reduced from a peak of 30,000 to approximately 5,500 by Tuesday afternoon, according to the electricity supplier ESB. Emergency services, including Dublin Fire Brigade, responded to multiple water rescues and incidents involving stranded motorists. Flooding along the Slaney River caused road and school closures in County Wexford, underscoring the storm’s broad regional impact
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