FARMERS in the Castlederg area have been praised for rallying to help householders during flooding caused by heavy rainfall.
Properties in the Co Tyrone town were damaged during the flooding which happened on Saturday after heavy and persistent rain began to fall on Friday evening.
The weekend deluge also caused flash flooding in Co Donegal, with the Raphoe and Castlefin areas most impacted.
Around 5,000 sandbags were distributed in Castlederg by the Department for Infrastructure (DfI), while pumps were also deployed to tackle the rising water levels.
Castlederg Sinn Féin councilor Ruairi McHugh told the Irish News that farmers from the surrounding area reacted quickly to help alleviate the problem as the downpours continued on Saturday.
"I would like to pay tribute to the actions of the local farming community, as they swiftly mobilised tractors and water tanks and pumps to help," he said.
Read more: Homes and businesses flooded after torrential rain in north west
"The actions of so many are a testament to the community spirit, as we saw neighbour helping neighbour. It was some of the heaviest and most persistent rain in recent memory, and local streams just couldn't handle the volume of water.
"Properties saw internal water damage, while others were affected by the rising water on the outside. It was a very concerning weekend."
Derry City and Strabane District Council said its environmental health officers have visited 21 properties in Castlederg since Saturday.
Meanwhile, the DfI said over 100 calls were made to its flooding incident line, while residents whose properties were impacted can apply for a £1,000 grant from the Department for Communities' flooding scheme that offers "practical assistance to those who have suffered severe inconvenience to help make homes habitable as quickly as possible".
