Communities in the south and east of the State already hit by heavy flooding are bracing for more heavy rain over the coming days. <\/p>\n
A status yellow weather warning<\/a> is due to take effect for Wexford<\/a>, Wicklow<\/a>, Waterford<\/a>, Carlow<\/a>, Dublin<\/a> and Kilkenny<\/a>, all counties already badly affected by flooding from Storm Chandra. <\/p>\n The warning is in place for all day Thursday.<\/p>\n Met \u00c9ireann<\/a> is forecasting more rain on Friday with localised flooding in places where the ground is already saturated. <\/p>\n There could be between 40mm and 50mm of rain on higher ground on the Wicklow and Blackstairs mountains with low-lying places getting between 25mm and 35mm of rain. <\/p>\n Enniscorthy<\/a> remains the worst-affected town, with mounting anger that a local flood-defence scheme, first proposed in 2010, has not been built.<\/p>\n Wexford-based Fine Gael<\/a> senator Cathal Byrne said it was \u201csimply unacceptable that we are still awaiting planning permission never mind construction on this project after years of delays\u201d. <\/p>\n The levels of the Slaney river dropped on Wednesday, allowing business and homeowners to assess the damage.<\/p>\n [\u00a0\u2018It would make you think of retiring\u2019: Enniscorthy businesses process flood devastationOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n Minister for Housing James Browne<\/a> criticised Met \u00c9ireann for its communication before Storm Chandra hit. Mr Browne, whose Wexford constituency was worst affected by the storm, said Met \u00c9ireann would be brought before an Oireachtas<\/a> committee to explain its messaging ahead of the storm. <\/p>\n \u201cI think we will be bringing Met \u00c9ireann in and saying that there needs to be an understanding here that information is not to be guarded. Information is to be put out there and we need to do a much better job of communication,\u201d the Enniscorthy TD said on South East Radio.<\/p>\n He said he had asked the forecaster to look at how it determines its yellow, orange and red warnings.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s based on a mathematical formula, whereas in other countries they use the mathematical formula but then they also make a judgment call,\u201d said Mr Browne, adding that there needs to be \u201ca greater use of that judgment call\u201d.<\/p>\n Met \u00c9ireann said it was focused on its role of monitoring, analysing and predicting Ireland\u2019s weather, climate and flooding, and supporting emergency planning responses to weather events such as Storm Chandra. <\/p>\n \u201cAs such, our services, operations and engagement with all stakeholders are always evolving to meet current and future needs.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr Browne\u2019s comments drew criticism from Opposition TDs, with Labour<\/a>\u2019s climate spokesman Ciar\u00e1n Ahern saying Mr Browne had attempted to shirk blame for communication failures ahead of Storm Chandra.<\/p>\n Mr Ahern described the comments as \u201cextraordinary\u201d and aimed to \u201cdistract and deflect\u201d from the Government<\/a>\u2019s failure to prepare properly for extreme weather events. <\/p>\n \u201cThe failure lies clearly at the Government\u2019s door. We don\u2019t have a national flood warning system in place, a glaring oversight in the face of worsening storms and rising sea levels,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n