Emergency £1,000 payment scheme activated after NI flash flooding

RECAP: How Saturday's downpours and flash flooding affected Northern Ireland

IN PICTURES: 16 images from Saturday's flooding across NI

A post on social media from the Department for Communities on Sunday confirmed that the money will be made available to those eligible through their local government authority.

“Following yesterday’s incidents of flooding, individual householders who have suffered severe inconvenience can claim £1000 payment from their local council as an offer of assistance,” the DfC tweeted on Sunday morning.

“Contact your council ASAP for more information.”

According to the DfC website, the immediate payment is designed to ‘be of practical assistance to help make homes habitable as quickly as possible (If household deemed to fit criteria)’.

Saturday saw large swathes of Northern Ireland affected by flash flooding caused by torrential rain.

The Met Office issued an amber weather warning and the downpours caused traffic chaos in several areas.

Flights in and out of Northern Ireland were affected with some diverted and many delayed or cancelled as a result of the freak weather.

Dromore in County Down was one of the worst affected areas. DUP MLA Paul Givan was on the ground in the County Down village yesterday.

He tweeted: “Spent this afternoon in Dromore during the torrential rain. Response from the local community helping out and expressing concern has been excellent. I’ve spoken to a number of business owners affected and will be arranging meetings with statutory bodies to review the situation.”