Lisa O’Connell was cutting and dyeing hair for customers at the HS2 Salon on Midleton’s Main Street when Wednesday’s downpour began. She said it was “crazy” watching water levels rise outside at a rapid speed. A short time later the deluge from Storm Babet caused the salon’s front window to shatter.
“I have never seen anything like it,” she said. “Luckily, we weren’t here when the window broke. There was traffic going past and we started to panic as the waves went up.
“So many people have lost their homes and when are we going to be able to work again? I lost my car as well. It was submerged in water.
“I think my insurance will cover it but it was an older car so I don’t know if it is going to be worth it for me to claim because my insurance will go up.”
Salon owner Laurie O’Donnell said all of their stock was destroyed. “At the back the water came right above the sinks which are close to chest level. It is like a hurricane came into the shop. I don’t know where you go from here. It’s sickening.”
Staff and customers, including a pregnant woman, had to do a sudden exit out of the shop after water levels rose at a dramatic speed.
Elsewhere in the east Cork town, Maria Burgoyne of Say I Do bridal shop said it felt like a “bad dream”.
“I saw a child being rescued down the Main Street last night. He was five or six. On his own on a boat. I don’t know where he came from. They had to bring him down to his dad.
“I saw an old man being rescued out of his apartment in Midleton. Women and children walking down the street to be rescued. It was like a war zone. It was unbelievable.”
Ms Burgoyne’s bridal shop suffered huge damage in the flood. She said she was heartbroken at the loss of stock and was concerned about the future of area businesses.
“This is such a vibrant town. I was lucky enough to escape [flooding] in the past but not this time. All our stock is destroyed. We had no chance to save anything. We were lucky to get out ourselves.
“We were there and the water started to come in and there was no stopping it. We were scrambling trying to get sandbags. I suppose 10 or 15 minutes before it hit we thought it was going to get bad. But it was too late. The sandbags wouldn’t have made a difference.
“Luckily all of our Christmas brides had collected [their dresses] at this stage. So we are just starting to get our spring/summer stock on. One dress belonging to a bride was damaged. But we have time to sort her out.”
Ms Burgoyne does have flood insurance but she said unfortunately it has a “high excess”.
“We are in the process of speaking to the insurance company. To loss adjusters. There is an awful lot of work to be done before we know where we stand.
“We have had 20 good years in Midleton. It is devastating. It is going to be hard to get back from it but we will get back from it because we have a great team. I have a great family and colleagues.”
She added that the people of Midleton would unite in the coming days and weeks.
“The people of Midleton are great for supporting local so we will get back on our feet. It is unimaginable. The water was four feet high [in the shop]. Equipment we wouldn’t have dreamt would have moved was floating around the shop.”
Eleanor Dunlea of Lollipop Kids Children’s Footwear was attempting to clean up her store on Thursday morning. Destroyed shoes and stock was piled up at a height outside the building as staff brushed remaining water out of the shop.
Ms Dunlea said she was “totally devastated”.
“Going forward I don’t know if there is going to a Lollipop Kids again. We are here 15 years. It kicked off at five past 12 yesterday and it didn’t recede until four o’clock this morning. I put stuff up high and the shelves fell down on the floor so the stock is destroyed. I have never seen the likes of this. It is desperate.”
An immediate concern for retailers is whether their insurance policies will cover flood damage.
“I have heard things about insurance not covering the town for water damage,” says O’Connell. “That is not what everyone needs at the moment. We are all paying insurance.”
