b'5.3.1Extreme Weather impacts in County KildareCase StudiesKildare has experienced some of the hottest summers on record in more recent times, includingthe summer of 1995, the hottest summer on recordin 2006 and the summer of 2018, one ofthehottest and driest periods ever recorded. The hot temperatures had an adverse impact on roads in Kildare with incidents of road bleeding and roadsubsidence in bog land areas. The hotter temperatures also dried out water sources, trees and soils resulting in reduced water availability, tree and building structure deterioration around the county. The hot temperatures also boosted the tourism sector in Kildare. The summer of 2006, the winter of 2017 and the summer of 2018 brought drought / low rainfallconditions impacting water availability in theCounty including group water schemes in eastKildare with no water going to houses for several days. Tillage farmers and cereal growershad reduced crop output and farmers with livestock were not able to save enough fodder forthe winter after the drought in the summer.Hosepipe bans were issued around the County. The Department of Agriculture issued an extremefire risk for the County in the 2018 summer. Drought conditions also brought the opportunity to new archeological treasures to be revealed. Heavy / Prolonged Rainfall events have resulted in flooding that has impacted the Local Authority and the people of Kildare. In 2002, localised flooding stretched the resources of the Area Offices, Emergency Department, Civil Defence and Army as they pumped water out of peoples homes and rescued stranded motorists in the north of the County. Severe flooding in 2008 led to motoristsgetting stranded and houses being evacuated. Severe flooding in 2009 caused by the Rivers Barrow and Liffey bursting their banks at several places impacted Athy, Newbridge, Clane and Sallins. Clane nursing home had to be evacuated, residential areas in Sallins flooded and roads near Maynooth became impassible. 38'