FLOODS and black ice brought chaos to Dublin and Kildare today.

The Liffey burst its banks at several locations, including the Strawberry Beds in Lucan, Co Dublin, while icy roads caused a spate of accidents.

Roads at the Strawberry Beds were under three feet of water last night, though the levels have fallen back .

Gardai appealed to drivers to slow down as they dealt with a series of crashes and road closures.

Roads in Wicklow and Meath were also flooded.

The driver of an oil tanker that jack-knifed on the Malahide Road early this morning was in a serious condition in hospital with head injuries.

The overturned vehicle led to traffic delays on the route.

In Ballyfermot, three men were injured, one seriously, when their car left the road and hit a tree on the Kylemore Road.

In many parts of the east of the country, minor collisions occurred as drivers were caught unaware by the icy conditions.

Road were closed at the Strawberry beds, Lower Road, and Tinkers Hill in Lucan after the Liffey burst its banks.

Roads were closed due to flooding at Kiltiernan and at St Margarets Road outside Keelings Fruit Farm.

Black ice caused treacherous road conditions.

Worst

The worst-hit areas included Kilshane Cross, on the N81 to Blessington, the back roads around Dublin Airport, and the road from Skerries to Rush in north Dublin.

The Snugborough Road in Blanchardstown, the Rathcoole Bridge on the N7, and the Fonthill Road in Clondalkin were also affected.

On the N9 Kilcullen to Castledermot road in Kildare, hour-long delays occurred northbound at Crookstown where another jack-knifed truck obstructed traffic.

While the flood waters at the Strawberry Beds had subsided this morning, there was still substantial disruption.

However, cars were not heeding the diversion signs and were driving into the washed-out areas.

Flooding chaos spread from the west of the country to the east, as massive amounts of rainfall swelled rivers.

Many homes in the east of the country were dealing with flooded homes while many more were on alert with the Liffey rising further.

And the forecast for the week is for further rain and showers.

The Liffey was a torrent of swelled water as it flowed past the Strawberry Beds.

While the level of water had fallen overnight, the road was still impassable.

Abandoned cars that had broken down in the floods were left on the road overnight, and signs diverted traffic to higher roads away from the river. Debris was also visible on the road, and sections of a low retaining wall along the river's edge appear to have been washed away with the force of the water.

Areas along the Liffey, especially in Co Kildare, were particularly vulnerable.

In The Waterways estate, in Sallins, boats were used to evacuate residents from 100 houses and apartments.

Evacuated

Four elderly residents at Hazel Hall nursing home had to be evacuated in Clane, Co Kildare.

Charlie Talbot, a spokesman for Kildare County Council, said the ESB issued a flood warning in respect of the River Liffey.

"Anybody who is living close to the river, not just close to it but also at a level that is roughly the same as the river, should take action to protect their property.

"The ESB have been co-operating with us and they have been holding back water as long as they possible can.

"But there's no guarantee they can continue to do that and some water, I think, will probably have to be discharged, and people do need to take care.

"Towns and villages particularly, but also rural areas along the line of the River Liffey in Co Kildare, would need to be as prepared as they can be," Mr Talbot said.

The Liffey stretches for almost 100km through Kildare, with towns like Ballymore Eustace, Kilcullen, Newbridge, Straffan, Celbridge, Clane and Leixlip thought to be at particular risk.

The council has provided sandbags to residents and businesses, while the Defence Forces helped with the flood prevention efforts.

Flooding has already hit the Kildare towns of Athy, Clane, Naas and Newbridge.

Local authority officials set up a reception centre for residents who had nowhere to go after they were washed out of their homes.

Flood water levels in the Shannon basin in counties Galway and Offaly remained a serious concern.

As the bad weather hit the east yesterday, estimates suggested the final bill for damage across the country could top €1bn.

Levels

The ESB said there will be no increase in the volume of water being released from Parteen Weir into the River Shannon as water levels have dropped 3cm in Lough Derg.

The company operates three dams on the River Liffey -- at the Poulaphouca Reservoir, Co Wicklow; at Golden Falls, which is 2km downstream; and at Leixlip.

A spokesman said that while it was not discharging water from Golden Falls dam, at Ballymore Eustace, it would continue to discharge water from Leixlip overnight.

hnews@herald.ie

- Conor Feehan and Cormac Murphy