Update on River Shannon water levels issued by Athlone Town Council on Monday 3rd February
Water levels in the River Shannon are continuing to rise and are being monitored by Athlone Town Council. At this stage, a short section of roadway at McQuades Bridge on Deerpark Road has been closed but there is a risk of further flooding.
The Council is in receipt of data from the ESB which predicts that water levels will continue to rise for the next 5 days, at least. This predictive model indicates that flooding of the lowest houses in Athlone could occur by the end of the week. However, this is by no means certain and the situation is being closely monitored.
Athlone Town Council has activated its Flood Emergency Response Plan. As part of this plan, a range of precautionary measures are being implemented to reduce the risk of flooding and to provide assistance in the areas at most risk.
The public are advised to be aware of the current risks associated with the River Shannon and to take whatever precautions you can if you live in a vulnerable area.
Further more detailed advice is available on the Councils' websites at www.athlone.ie and www.westmeathcoco.ie.
A further update on river levels will be issued on Thursday 6th February 2014.