The waters came quickly, and for some all too often. According to one local resident this may be the last time that some will rebuild their saturated, and uninsured, homes.
Maura Warde lives a mile and a half from the town of Ballinasloe in an area called Derrymullen, an area she says is one of the worst hit. Her estate has seen a lot of damage, with few residents avoiding the burst river’s rampage. For one neighbour, this flood was simply one too many, having been hit three times previously, and having no insurance, the woman said: “I’m throwing away the key, I’m not coming back, I can’t face it again.” After their conversation Ms Warde said she was inclined to believe her: “She moved out, and I haven’t seen her since.”
Ms Warde considers herself lucky having narrowly avoided the filthy flood waters entering her house by inches: “We were luckier than others on the street, the water came up from the river, which is a good distance from the back of the house, but as my house is a few inches higher than others on the street the water did not come in. It came up about four foot in the garden destroying my sister’s car and my own. My shed is also saturated with my washing and drying machine.”
Ms Warde said for many the fear of not knowing the damage the waters had caused was as bad as the reality they learned yesterday when allowed to re-enter their homes:
“The waters have receded, and today was the first day I could get back into my house, and luckily it’s dry,” she said.
For others who went to inspect their homes yesterday the situation was very different. “The whole estate was flooded, and most of the houses were damaged. Floorboards are up, and cupboards are warped, for some this is their third time being flooded, and they have no insurance,” said Warde.
“The people are absolutely devastated, a lot of my neighbours are older people whose children have all grown up and left home. They had just started to do up their houses, and a lot of them are not covered.”
One such neighbour whom Ms Warde said had been traumatised by the event was Pauline Burke. Burke says she has not been flooded before, and luckily insurance will cover the damage: “My house has been flooded all downstairs in every room, there was about six or seven inches of water in some parts,” said Burke. “The house is totally soaked, and we have had to move out. We have been told it will be weeks, if not months, before we can move back in. The insurance company are around at the moment assessing the damage, but they have not told us anything yet.”
Commenting on the mood of the town Ms Warde said:
“It’s like a death in the town, everyone is so devastated and frustrated. It’s terrible to see people’s homes destroyed, and old people having to be stretchered out of their houses.
“There’s a gloom of sadness and misery about the place, so much sadness. All we can do now is rally around and help each other.
“As it was a lot of places in the town were closing down, now they are just surviving, it’s going to be a very tough Christmas for everyone.
“I cannot speak highly enough of the support we have got. I had to be taken out of my house in a boat, and I have to say the Army, Civil Defence, the men in the town, and everyone have been wonderful, so kind and respectful.”
As the flood waters recede, and local residents are brought back to assess the damage caused to their property, Ms Warde comments on the ironic change in mother nature’s temperament:
“At the moment it’s like a sea view over my back wall, the swans and wildlife are coming in, and it’s beautiful with the sun shining.”
