EXCEPTIONAL NEEDS payments will be made to King St. residents following the costly flooding of Sunday night, a local councillor has stated.

Labour Cllr. George Lawlor made the announcement late yesterday (Monday) afternoon on Facebook, saying: “The Department of Social Protection has contacted me to say that officials from their offices will be calling to people affected by the floods in King St. to assist them with exceptional needs payments. They hope to do this over the next 24 hours.

“If anybody is aware of other people who suffered flood damage could you put them in contact with me or pass me on their details.”

The news was welcomed by many people in the King St. area, which has been the scene of much flooding down through the years and was the scene of a tragedy when a man was drowned in a massive flood over two decades ago.

Officials called to several houses affected by the flooding yesterday after rivers of floodwater swept through Wexford town on Sunday, knocking over a wall at Corry’s Villas and destroying the downstairs of homes in King St., causing tens of thousands of euros in damage.

It is believed 50mm of rain fell on Sunday afternoon and evening in one of the biggest and most powerful downpours the town has witnessed in recent years. Outlying areas like Taghmon and Kilrane were also badly affected.

In Wexford the water gushed from higher areas of the town down, blocking drains and leading to flooding.

Town Clerk Pat Collins said the flooding was not the fault of the Council, but of nature.

For the full story see this week’s Wexford Echo newspaper.