The Alliance MP spoke to householders in the area to offer her support following worries about severe flooding. Sydenham had been earmarked as one of the areas in most danger but escaped relatively unscathed
However, Mrs Long, who also met PSNI personnel leading the emergency response alongside Alliance colleague Judith Cochrane MLA, said reports of further high tides, coupled with on-shore winds and heavy rain, could see water levels in the east of the city rise again on Monday, creating a risk of flood defences being breached.
“While we have received no reports of any serious incidents in Sydenham today, flooding can be unpredictable, with Monday in particular seeing high tides and less favourable winds, coupled with heavy rain.
“I would advise people to continue preparing for the worst ahead of Monday, hope that things will settle but it is still best to be prepared.
“My colleagues and I worked overnight and throughout the day to ensure sandbags were delivered to those who needed them and all possible precautions were in place. The police and other agencies also deserve praise for their quick response once it became clear the situation was becoming more serious.
“However, it is important to remain vigilant to this ever-changing situation, and I would encourage everyone in Sydenham to continue to heed the flooding advice given out by the relevant agencies ahead of Monday’s further tidal surge, and crucially to not remove sandbags from points in the city where they have been placed to prevent water breaching defences.”