Take it seriously

joy res

I walked through the Viking Triangle in Waterford City on the New Year’s morning  and came across a Christmas Tree graveyard where I took this photograph. Some thirty decorated Christmas trees were dumped there like no longer worshiped idols. The Holidays are over.

Holiday season in Ireland was darkened  by severe and extensive floods that hit the country in the end of December- beginning of January. Property and farmlands are damaged, people are devastated after losing their possessions and security of their homes.

I haven’t been to the flooded areas this year, but I have some pictures taken during the flood in 2009 and 2013.

At this stage, River Suir looks fierce and beautiful – Clonmel 2013.

flood

Carrick on Suir in February, at high tide the same year.

flood

This flood is already getting out of hand…

flood

flood

In summertime,  River Suir can be so shallow that in some places a heron can cross it without getting his bottom wet.  Now the river looks like a lake – you can watch  Cyril Helnwein‘s video and take a 6 km kayaking trip from Clonmel to Kilsheelan – not only down the river…

Unfortunately, there is no fun at all in getting flooded.

For many flood victims, this is not the first time they have been flooded in recent years and they face the current crisis without insurance coverage. Murky brown floodwater, sometimes more than a meter deep, causes permanent damage to almost everything.

Some  farmers have to evacuate their cattle to the neighboring farms. Feed and pastures are destroyed, and it will take months the land to drain and recover its capacity to grow crops. People blame the EU Conservation Program.

Floods have always been around, they are natural. Much of the flooding is  caused by bad planning, allowing  roads and houses to be built on natural flood plains. It seems that unpopular decisions are required, like relocation of  businesses  and people.

Now that the worst seems to be over, it is time to start thinking about the next flood, and take it seriously.

On a lighter note – we can also dream 🙂 This  sweet girl lives in the place where it is snowing in winter. What is she dreaming of?

snow

This lovely girl lives in Ireland. May be she is dreaming of a dry, white winter?

2016

Have a wonderful weekend!

100 comments

  1. I am sorry to hear about the flooding. In Canada, there are people who build on a flood plain and they regularly get flooded but the government assists them with rebuilding and repairing so they have no real incentive to move. It is an unpopular arrangement among the public.

    1. Thank you for stopping by! What I think is that people have to move away from the flood plains and let the river have them. Resisting the natural flooding pattern can cause over-flooding in other places.

  2. Oh, what a lovely start to the year even if there’s floods everywhere and you have photos of more! I always feel so sorry for poor abandoned trees. I love your photograph of the end of Christmas. You know it would make a wonderful card. Then there’s all your other lovely images, especially the last one. Seriously a great post and thank you for these images that capture so much perfectly xxx

    1. Thank you so much! I haven’t been on WordPress lately, have to catch up a lot. Thank you for not abandoning me! Hope your start of the year is better than mine – at least you have a strong team to delegate jobs if you are stuck. Hope your Hamsters are in a good health. xxxx

  4. I agree it’s great to see the community pitching in when these things happen. It’s raining fiercely again this morning so I can only hope you’re not sharing it too. The devastation in Ireland and in the North West of England and in Wales has been terrible. Very often after this the homes won’t be able to find insurance unless the Government step in with some flood defences.
    I was hoping 2016 might be a better year bit it needs to start improving fast for these poor souls who need their houses drying out before they can move back in.
    xxx Huge Hugs Inese xxx

    1. Thank you for stopping by, David! Yes, flood alert is still in place 😦 I have seen some videos from Wales, it is a tragedy, especially now, in the middle of winter.
      I still have a hope for the beginning of February, Chinese New Year 🙂 I believe in predictions, they are quite correct.
      Many hugs! xxxx

  5. Wow – sorry for the horrible flooding in your area. The kayaking video was really interesting, especially where they showed the old flooded churchyard. Hope this is the end of the bad weather for you!

    1. Thank you for stopping by and taking a ride 🙂 Suir is a tidal river, and she looks different at different times of the day. In this video the sriver looks quite calm but I have seen some pictures of broken stone walls and trees 😦 We still have flood alert in some places, but the roads are passable at the moment.

  6. The US has had some really bad flooding in the last year with loss of lives. Luckily we live on a bluff above a bay so we are safe. Still I cannot imagine the mess that is left behind and many may not have flood insurance. We don’t but we don’t need it. Adorable little girls!

    1. Once people are flooded, no insurance will cover them for flood again. Now with the climate change more properties are in danger. Our floods are not as bad as in the US, for many different reasons, and I know only one case when a women drowned in her home a couple of year ago, but it is a tragedy for every one affected. And the mess, you are right, the mess is unbelievable!

  7. This is terrible for those affected, and as you say, not the first time. It’s been a miserable few weeks with floods ruining homes and lives in Europe and the US, bush fires in Australia and of course the entirely human tragedies of war and population displacement.

  8. That looks very severe flooding in Ireland. US has been under the same situation. It is devastating to the victims everywhere. Water can damage any thing. My sympathy go to them.

    I like the lovely pictures of the girls at the end of the post.

    1. Thank you Francis! I just wanted to soften the post 🙂
      You should see this river in summer. Some areas are almost dry, you can walk across stepping on the stones.

  11. Flooding in the states, too. We’ve not had any, but friends in Illinois and Missouri have been dealing with extensive flooding. My brother’s home in Houston flooded in back to back years. Finally the city took action. It’s a devastating event.

    1. Oh it is devastating. The water is such a force, and it is coming up with such a speed, it is scary. The locals in the flooded areas help cleaning up after the flood – it is amazing to see community united in the face of disaster.

  12. Sorry to hear about the flooding. We’re having some coastal flooding but so far, not too bad. (knock on wood). I think the little girl is dreaming of a new puppy!

  13. That is such awful news and devastating for the people flooded out and losing everything. I can only imagine. We are in a flood zone as well and hopefully it never happens. Be well.

    1. Thank you! Some of the people I know have been flooded. People who never experienced flooding have no idea how dirty and stinky is the floodwater.

  15. So sad to see the floods coming especially during the winter time – I have been experiencing floods attack in Indonesia and I know it was unpleasant disaster and I just can’t imagine how it must feel when the temparature is also cold.
    Your images are impressive – love the ones with little girls 😊 great images!

    1. Thank you so much Indah! It is devastating to lose everything.
      So happy you are back to blogging. I will visit your blog very soon 🙂 I want to know how you got settled.

  16. I had no idea about this. Thanks for enlightening me. I pray for all the flood victims in Ireland and thanks for sharing your photos. You were somehow able to capture the beauty of nature, even during one of its roughest moments with the floods.

  17. Living through a flood is a hardship! It is one thing when it is a normal natural annual occurrence. When it is unnaturally caused by man, it is a sin. Hey, I bet the folks who built the dam or whatever live in a dry place & maybe made profit. Just the cynic in me speaking.
    LOL Happy 2016 Inese!

  19. Inese, how right you are about the seriousness of floods. My hubby had a business in Clonmel that was flooded verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry badly over the years, It’s heartbreaking to see the devastation it causes.

    Thankfully, we are out of that premises now but our thoughts will always be with those who are washed out.

    1. I am so sorry for your husband and all of those who have such devastating losses because of the flood. It is hard to recover psychologically, not only economically.

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