'I’m in shock still and I can’t even cry': Midleton locals left to pick up the pieces after Storm Babet

Bernie O’Shea was at home when her house was flooded. 'I’m able to salvage some things now but I’m after losing all of my memories of my mom and my dad and my childhood.' Picture: Chani Anderson

For businesses and homeowners in Midleton, the sound of rainfall peppering their roofs yesterday morning as they tried to sleep just brought more feelings of dread.

Those who managed to sleep woke to ominous warnings that the town could get a second round of flooding, with the Woodlands estate being visited by gardaí around sunrise in case evacuation was needed.

While it didn't come to pass this time, homeowners and business figures said they remain on tenterhooks that the threat remains over the coming days and weeks. 

A flood defence scheme cannot come fast enough, most said.

Weary people were still working around the clock to get the flood-battered town back to some semblance of normality yesterday.

The rain hasn't gone away, while the Owenacurra river remains swollen — there is a feeling in Midleton that Groundhog Day could be just around the corner and that they will have to step into the breach once more.

Tearful and heartbroken, Vanda Silva of Midleton Osteopathic Clinic on Main Street and Ana Hrgovan of Ana's Happy Scissors on Broderick Street comforted each other as the clean-up continued.

For Vanda, everything she has worked for since proudly opening her clinic a year ago "was destroyed in minutes".

She is not sure that she can open again, after ploughing so much time, energy, and money into her new business. Tens of thousands of euros worth of equipment is gone.

Insurance, similar to businesses and homeowners all over Midleton, is an issue, with flooding preventing cover from being given.

I don't know how I am going to pay my mortgage, what I am going to do, I have two young children. The equipment is destroyed, the floors had to be ripped up, and I haven't eaten or slept in days.

A specialist piece of equipment that Ms Silva had wanted for 10 years — saving money here and there when she could until the day she reached €25,000 to buy it — is now useless.

"I had saved for 10 years and was so excited when I was able to buy it. Now it is gone in an instant," she said.

For Ms Hrgovan, a dream she has had since she was a little girl in Croatia, to own her very own business, was destroyed in seconds.

"For us in Croatia, it was not possible when we were little. I live in Ballinacurra and I opened the business here in Midleton two years ago, because I could follow my dream in Ireland. That dream was destroyed in five minutes. It is heartbreaking.

"We had such little warning that I had thought I could move my car from outside, but it came so fast. That is destroyed too. My late father helped me buy that car, it has such sentimental value.

"On top of that, the car insurance company wants me to pay €300 just for them to send out an assessor and have told me that my no-claims bonus is gone. It is bad news on top of bad news, it is hard to take."

Ms Silva said that going to sleep at night and hearing any kind of heavy rain brings a pit in the feeling of her stomach.

What if it happens again? I've already had anxiety attacks in the last few days, but the sound of the rain brings such fear, it is hard to imagine. We are now living in almost constant fear in Midleton. The flood defence scheme has to happen as a matter of urgency.

The only comfort was the response of the community who rallied to their cause, the business owners said.

Ms Silva described her own staff as "heroic", adding that the sense of community spirit had kept her going through the trauma of losing everything — the help she has received from her fellow citizens should be an example to Government leaders, she added.

"There are special people in our town," she said.

A 62-year-old woman described the feeling after her home was flooded for a second time following the heavy rain brought by Storm Babet.

‘I’ve lost everything’ were the words of devastated Bernie O’Shea after flood water ravaged her riverside bungalow. Picture: Chani Anderson

Bernie O’Shea was at home when her house was flooded after more than a month’s worth of rain fell in Cork in the wake of the storm.

This was the second time her Midleton home had been flooded. The first time the house flooded was in 2015, a few months after she moved into the property.

“I’m able to salvage some things now but I’m after losing all of my memories of my mom and my dad and my childhood. Everything is gone.” 

Ms O'Shea said the water rose particularly high on Wednesday and believes the orange warning issued ahead of the storm should have been higher.

“I’ve never seen it [the water] so high. I was flooded in 2015 and we were able to sweep it out but this time it went into the bed and my bed is very high.

“After the last flooding I got a stainless-steel bed, which is high off the floor, and the water reached my orthopedic mattress on the bed,” Ms O'Shea said.

"I’m just devastated. I wouldn’t put it any other way. I’m in shock still and I can’t even cry.”