The midlands are bracing themselves for what could one of the worst floods to hit the country since the horrific events of 2009.
The heavy rains over the past week have forced the banks of the River Shannon to be dangerously close to breaking point. Over the coming weekend a further metre of rain is expected to fall in the region of Athlone and the midlands in general.
James Rowan from the area contacted The Liberal with these dramatic images taken this morning of the River Shannon flowing through Burgess park in Athlone.
Local resident Rita Maguire said “I don’t know what to do to try and defend our home. I have two small children and am a single parent. We’re trying to bank our homes but the water is rising too fast. We need help from Dublin and we need it now”.
Many residents feel the midlands have been simply left behind any form of recovery and that if they lived on the East coast – this problem would have been solved years ago.