'We had never seen anything like it':Midleton business owners describe moment floods hit town

HARROWING stories are continuing to emerge following Wednesday’s flooding in Midleton as locals battle to rebuild their lives in the midst of unprecedented destruction.

Environment Minister Eamon Ryan visited the area with a message of support for residents after Storm Babet’s rampage.

However, it seemed it was too little too late for many, who expressed anger at the Government’s failure to implement the flood relief scheme for the area which could have mitigated the disaster.

Fine Gael councillor Susan McCarthy, who co-owns McCarthy’s Newsagents with her husband Fergus, was among them. 

Their business was destroyed by the floods, which left customers stranded in her shop last Wednesday.

Emotions are still running high, days on from the event. Ms McCarthy said she was crying with one customer whose dog drowned in the raging flood waters.

“There was one woman who bought a house so she could return here after years of living in Dublin,” Ms McCarthy said. “She put all her life savings into that beautiful little house and it was gutted.

“When she was evacuating, she managed to save one of her dogs but the smaller one didn’t make it. The other one was pulling at her and she was trying to manage him. The next thing she turned around, only to find the little one had been washed away. She caught him but it was too late and he had already drowned.

“I was actually crying with her as she was telling me.”

'Something I will never forget'

Ms McCarthy said that people in the shop were “basically standing in a shell”.

“There was nothing left bar a clock and a picture on the wall.”

The business owner said she had never seen anything like the destruction in the town on Wednesday.

“There were people caught in the shop and we brought them upstairs, thinking this can’t get worse,” she said. “We had never seen anything like it. Luckily, we still had electricity at that point so my husband was able to cook food for them.

“We sent them up for showers. We gave them towels. We gave them socks and even tracksuit pants. I’m actually putting on washes now, asking myself: ‘Who do these belong to?’ because we actually washed people’s clothes after bringing them up from the shop. There are trousers, socks, everything.”

The politician said she could not believe what she heard from her upstairs window.

“The sound of the raging water was deafening. It’s something I will never forget. This was a fast-flowing river running through the main street,” she said.

Fianna Fáil councillor Ann Marie Ahern, who runs Ahern Auctioneers in Cork, spoke of the impact on the town.

“I’m doing my best for everyone and helping homeowners and businesses,” she said. “My own business is drowning but you can’t be selfish at a time like this. I’m an elected representative, which means I need to put my community first.”

The Midleton woman said she feels for homeowners impacted by the chaos.

“I left my office to go home at 1.05pm for a quick sandwich last Wednesday,” she said. “By the time I drove the length of the main street we were being told to go back. We were already underwater and there was no time to react to the impact. The floodgates literally opened.”

'An example of climate change'

Mr Ryan addressed reporters in the town yesterday, saying that this is yet another example of the reality of climate change.

“The sad reality is that climate change is real and it’s getting more pronounced,” he said. “It’s hitting home.”

He acknowledged the impact on the people affected. “They will be heartbroken,” he said. “There is nothing worse than a flood and all the destruction.

“My heart goes out to them.”

The Green Party leader said it was important that he met with those who were helping with the flood efforts.

“It’s very important to meet the fire service and the local council,” he said. “There is a lot of rain forecast for Sunday and early Monday. That’s going to be a challenge. We have to make sure that we prepare for that but also help the clean-up. I need to help the businesses and help the householders in whatever way I can.”

He also spoke of the unexpected nature of the flooding.

“I think it did catch everyone because of the speed at which it happened,” said Mr Ryan. “The town has been flooded before. What happened this time was unprecedented, given that the river broke its banks just up west of the main street and took a course down the main street in a way that hasn’t happened before.

“They are ready to go to planning [for the flood relief scheme]. I don’t think there is any reason to stop that. I think it should go through as fast as we can.”