Retailers in Co Fermanagh — where extensive rain has turned roads into rivers and farmland into lakes — are bearing the economic brunt of the flooding with some businesses reporting a 90% drop in trade.

Over the past three weeks the equivalent of three months of rain has fallen in the west of Northern Ireland causing chaos across the county.

Water levels in Lough Erne have reached their highest since records began prompting fears the river could burst its banks, while the rising tides have forced roads to close leaving many retailers without customers.

Emergency work to beat the floods and facilitate the flow of shoppers to Enniskillen resulted in the level of the road being raised on the approach to Erneside Shopping Centre and Derrychara Link Road yesterday. Earlier this week the road, which is used by thousands of motorists every day, was submerged.

Roads Service and Rivers Agency engineers yesterday poured tonnes of stones onto the stricken site in a bid to raise the height of the road.

Henry Robinson from Roads Service’s Western Division said: “At midday on Tuesday it was obvious we were fighting a losing battle so we decided to go to plan B to create this as a temporary platform into that area.”

It is understood supermarket giant ASDA and the Erneside Shopping Centre paid Roads Service to raise the road to create access to their premises.

Stephen Griffth, who owns Hanna’s Toystore in Derrychara Link, fears if more rain falls over Enniskillen it will put him out of business.

“We would normally take between 80-120 customers though the till time of year but today I only ended up with nine,” he told the Belfast Telegraph.

“The Enniskillen Carpet Centre closed today and I am very, very worried that I might have to close as well. Half of my business is done in the last eight to 10 weeks of the year. If I lose this weekend and the two weeks they think it will take for the water to subside, I think my business will be gone.”

Farmers and householders in Co Fermanagh will also be trying to count the cost of the flooding.

The Association of British Insurers has estimated that the damage caused by flooding in Cumbria is likely to cost up to £100m, but a spokesman said it was too early to speculate what the costs would be in Northern Ireland.

He explained because the water had not subsided and the extent of damage to commercial properties and homes remained unknown, it could not give an estimate.

However flood consultant Laurence Waterhouse, who is also the chairman of the National Flood Forum, said it was possible to give a figure on an average flood claim.

“For a property which has been flooded with something like half a metre of water — depending on the type of construction — it could cost between £40,000-£50,000 in terms of rebuilding,” he said.

“On top of that though you get things like the cost of alternative accommodation and the replacement of dozens of articles, that could result into anything between £70,000-£90,000 by the time it’s finished.”

He said the costs for commercial properties could be up to £1m.