A year has passed since Storm Babet wreaked havoc on Midleton, triggering widespread damage worth many tens of millions of euros. The rapidity of the flood rather than just the sheer amount of water intensified the devastation, lefting residents and business owners with virtually no time to brace themselves for the onslaught.
Met Éireann had issued a forecast for orange-level rainfall for Cork and Waterford in the scope of Storm Babet’s path on the 18th of October, 2023. However, the prediction fell short as the region was overwhelmed by 126mm of precipitation, equivalent to nearly a whole winter month’s rainfall, in a mere 36 hours.
Kieran Goldspring, a resident of McDermott Street in central Midleton, calculated that his terrace property was inundated within just eight minutes due to the river Owenacurra breaching its banks around noon. This resulted in massive torrents of water sweeping down Main Street and engulfing other areas.
Water poured in through both the front and back entrances of the Goldsprings’ house, and within mere minutes, their home was submerged under a metre of polluted water. Their recently installed kitchen, a €15,000 upgrade undertaken in August, was completely ruined by the flood, along with all their appliances.
Goldspring confessed that without flood insurance, they would’ve been incapable of affording the repair costs after losing everything, including precious family photographs. While they worry about the recurrence of a situation similar to Storm Babet now that they can’t secure flood insurance, they acknowledge they were fortunate to have had it at the time.
Members of the Flood Relief Scheme subcommittee for the Midleton Chamber of Commerce, such as Damian O’Brien, have estimated that only a third of the 104 affected businesses had flood insurance. Many businesses lost their insurance after severe flooding incidents in 2015 and 2018.
To compensate those severely affected businesses lacking insurance, the Department of Enterprise, Trade, and Employment launched a relief scheme managed by the Irish Red Cross. This resulted in funding totalling €9,273,963 being allocated across 266 applicants.
However, not every business was able to recover. The Farmgate restaurant in Coolbawn, originally established by Kay Harte four decades ago and managed by her daughter Sally O’Brien, was among those that shut down. The decision was taken to close down in Midleton and relocate to Lismore.
In 2018, we were incapacitated for nearly two months, yet the recent disaster surpassed that. All our culinary devices were ruined, however, the main issue was the building’s condition itself. Water damage was so severe that a structural engineer advised us against using the premises any further.
The repair efforts needed for the water-soaked building were vast. In 2018, we encountered floods and unfortunately, we lacked flood insurance at the time. Departing from our beloved Coolbawn was heart-wrenching but we had acknowledgment that it was the end of the line for us.
Similarly, Denbar Jewellers also bore the brunt of the floodwaters, with the store undergoing a complete overhaul after a meter-high surge of water dismantled the robust beech units.
Owner, Barbara Hurley, said, “I possessed flood insurance which turned out to be grossly insufficient. Since I had this insurance, I was deemed ineligible for the Red Cross grant. Reopening took me a quarter of a year. I sought to receive some sort of income during the closure but my being self-employed meant I earned nothing.”
Hurley estimates that her insurance barely covered a quarter of her costs. Despite her disappointment at the lack of governmental financial aid for entrepreneurs like herself, she believes the mental toll was the most severe outcome of the flooding in Midleton.
She said, “Permanent anxiety has taken residence as repeat incidents are always a possibility. The psychological strain of running a business in this town, let alone residing here, is immense – with mental implants of this disaster vastly significant. We seem to be utterly at the river’s mercy.”
Like many in town, Hurley is appreciative of the temporary flood protection efforts facilitated by Cork County Council – inclusive of removing debris and the remains of the collapsed Moore’s Bridge from the Owenacurra. However, she questions why these tasks weren’t initiated last spring and finished ahead of winter’s arrival.
Among the temporary solutions like river clearance, was the plea from Midleton East Cork Flood Protection Group. They speak on behalf of roughly 500 homeowners hailing from Midleton and other flooded regions such as Mogeely, Killeagh, Castlemartyr, Ladysbridge, Dungourney, and Whitegate.
In February, a collective submitted a petition to officials at Leinster House, backed by 15,000 signatures. This was a protest against the apathy displayed towards the devastating flood issues. The problem was further underlined in May by a mass protest, in Midleton, that saw around 3,000 people march.
One protester was Caroline Leahy, a resident of Tír Cluain, located to the north of the town. She faced first-hand the horror of the floods when her home was submerged by up to a meter of water. Caroline, alongside fellow member of the flood protection group, Goldspring, is dedicated to securing flood measures such as flood gates or detachable Individual Property Protection (IPP) for her property.
More than 70 homes, including Caroline’s, were affected by the flooding in Tír Cluain. Group members are now campaigning for grants that will enable them to purchase IPPs, a preventive measure that can halt water intrusion. They’ve been alerted about potential grants amounting to €3,900 from an OPW fund by the Cork County Council. However, costs for Caroline have been quoted at €4,500 and others have received even greater estimates. These costs are escalating due to high demand and a monopoly supplier situation.
They are advocating for complete financial aid through grants for IPP as not everyone can bear the full cost. For neighbourhoods like Tír Cluain, housing structures have been built without any permanent partition between them, raising the risk of overflowing water entering neighbouring properties.
Goldspring also highlighted a similar issue with McDermott Street. Even if he could afford a flood barrier, the water displacement could aggravate the problem for neighbours who don’t have the resources for the same.
O’Brien, a local business owner of clothing stores Fox & Co and Flamingo, foresees the Midleton Flood Relief Scheme only being functional by 2032. The scheme is priced at €56 million and is designed for the protection of 700 properties. However, the planning process will only commence towards the end of 2025 which could delay the scheme’s activation.
O’Brien, who holds a background in chemical engineering and has managed sizeable pharma construction projects, estimates that the development’s comprehensive design phase will extend into 2027. The subsequent construction phase, scheduled to commence in 2028 for a two-year timeline, is projected to yield a completed and functional scheme by 2030.
He shares from his professional experience, however, that often large construction undertakings experience delays that could lead to losing a year. Thus, he doesn’t rule out the possibility of the project running its course until 2032 before the scheme can functionally operate.
Sinéad Morrissey, a fellow tradesperson operating Bertelli Menswear on Midleton’s Main Street, is filled with trepidation for the future. Despite her gratitude for the government assistance facilitated via the Red Cross and the unwavering patronage from local clientele, she can’t help but worry.
She recounts an error on a specific day where instead of protecting important documents, she sought to secure her stock. “I inadvertently ended up recreating my office, reprinting every invoice, essentially starting a new business. I do not wish to relive such a challenging year,” she says.
The fear of another disaster, considering the scheme is a possible six to eight years away, is ever-present. She accepts the lack of control over potential floods, but she’s given her best attempt to arrange for stock preservation in her shop.
Her plan involves keeping her stock ready for quick elevation in plastic boxes inside a storeroom, should another disastrous flood occur. “My sole hope is that if the town gets flooded again, it doesn’t happen at night, or we’re all up the creek,” Morrissey adds with caution.