'There is no coming back from this': Community in Midleton left reeling following floods
Teh HS2 hair salon on Main Street, Midleton, Cork which has been distroyed by flooding. Picture Dan Linehan
The community of Midleton has been left reeling following yesterday’s devastating flooding.
The town is one the worst affected areas in Cork following a deluge of rainfall during Storm Babet.
Business owners in the town this morning commenced what is likely to be a mammoth clean-up operation, with many premises significantly damaged.
On Main St, Eleanor Dunlea of Lollipop Kids children’s footwear shop described the damage as “totally devastating”.
“My shelves literally collapsed.
“I had put stuff up high so they wouldn’t get wet and now they’re all on the ground.
“There’s no coming back from this.
“I can’t see myself ever opening again,” she told The Echo.
Ms Dunlea said more needs to be done to protect Midleton from future flooding.
“Mallow, Fermoy are dry as a bone and they’re all flood zones.
“We’re here in Midleton paying big rates, believe you me, and this is what we get for it.
“This is the worst I’ve ever seen and I’m working in this town 30 years.
“I’ve never seen it as bad.
“I knew it was going to be bad this morning when I was coming in, but I didn’t think it was going to be this bad.
“Shelves were off the walls, the lot, stock on the floor,” she said.
“We’ve no flood cover here in Midleton. It’s soul-destroying,” Ms Dunlea added.
Next door, HS2 hair salon had it’s front window blown in from the pressure of the floodwater yesterday.
“I don’t even think you could put words to it,” Laurie O’Donnell, one of the directors at the salon, said of how she was feeling.
“Our front window is gone, the contents of the salon are gone, the girls are just devastated.
“We have a great team around us, they’re in helping… everyone is just shocked.”
Ms O’Donnell said HS2 also has no flood cover.
“Even interruption to business isn’t covered.
“Nothing, not a cent.
“We’re not the only ones affected by that, I’d imagine everyone else will be the same,” she added.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is due to visit Midleton this afternoon following the effects of the storm.
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