Glanmire residents 'held hostage' by the threat of further flooding

Calls for emergency funding and action to prevent further damage

Lauren McEvoy, left, with her mum Aisling McEvoy (right) and Aisling Humphreys (centre). Aisling McEvoy's Vision of Beauty salon at the rear of her residential premises is temporarily closed due to flood damage. She had a visit from young Aisling with a note saying ‘Sorry about what happened’. Picture: Larry Cummins

Fear of further flooding is holding a Cork community “hostage” after waves of dirty water washed into their houses, causing hundreds of thousands of euros in damage last week.

Local residents in Glanmire, Co Cork, are now demanding emergency funding, “urgent action” and “immediate protection” from further flooding.

Residents in Glanmire saw thousands of euro in damages after catastrophic rainfall last Wednesday. Further flooding hit roads in the area in subsequent days and there are fears about additional flooding with more rainfall forecast for the coming days.

Copper Valley Vue resident Aisling McEvoy said they were "being held hostage" by the threat of flooding.

“It feels like a death. The rest of the world continues to turn but you’re unable to move, unable to work, stuck at home held hostage by the river.

“It's a living nightmare."

Mrs McEvoy’s home in Glanmire, Co Cork, was flooded knee-deep with filthy water on Wednesday.

It is the second time her house has been catastrophically flooded. Some €50,000 damage was done to her home in 2015. Insurers now refuse to cover her for flood damage.

The road outside her home had turned into a raging river at the height of Wednesday’s flooding after one month’s of rain fell in one day with Storm Babet.

It was like a tsunami. Waves of high, dirty water pushed away the sandbags. The water was not gentle, creeping up, it was pushing in fast and vicious.

“It was very scary. And there were no emergency services there. We were all here on our own. ‘Will we drown? What will we do if the dog gets downstairs?’ It was pure insanity.

“We’re calling for urgent action.

“It’s through the community and charity that we have gotten by.” 

The house is now starting “to stink”, she said.

And €10,000 ‘wouldn’t touch’ the repairs necessary in the house.

Kitchen cabinets are swollen with water and no longer fit in place, and layers of black silt and dirt washed into all drawers and crevices below waist height.

“The entire ground floor is gone,” she said.

After the 2015 floods, residents were told it was a once-in-a-century weather event. Less than a decade has passed and it has already hit them again.

“This cannot continue. We need urgent action and emergency funding," she said.

We need immediate protection from further flooding today — not in two or three years time, not even in two to three week’s time.

The Community Welfare Service of the Department of Social Protection has activated the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme (HAS) which will be available to areas affected by Storm Babet.

€10m has been provided for the HAS in 2023. There is no set limit on the amount that can be paid under the scheme.

Any homeowner affected by Storm Babet who needs to access this support can contact the Community Welfare Service at 0818-60-70-80

The HAS is an income-tested scheme that provides emergency financial assistance to households affected by a severe weather event such as flooding.