Midleton mum hopes to be back home by Christmas

Marguerite Kiely

A mother of three from Midleton whose house was destroyed in Storm Babet has expressed her gratitude to those who rallied together to raise funds for her family, and hopes that her family will be back in their home in time for Christmas.

Susan Butler, from Tir Cluain in Midleton, faced not only the destruction of the recent floods that wreaked havoc on her home but also the devastation of being unable to secure flood insurance.

“It was the second time we were flooded in the space of 8 years, we were also flooded in 2015,” she told the Cork Independent. “We had insurance on that occasion so it was fine, but this time, we weren’t given flood cover, so we were in trouble.”

According to Susan, the flooding occurred so fast that she didn't have the time to put measures in place that might help stop the damage. “It happened so quickly. I tried to put the flood doors up but it was a mess, the water started pouring into the house and I couldn’t do anything about it,” she said.

When Susan’s neighbour went to collect Susan’s youngest daughter from creche, she decided to follow her. However, she had to turn back due to the severity of the flooding.

“The water was so high it was up to my chest, it was unsafe and I had to turn around. I feared for my life, it was so frightening. There were cars floating, you didn’t know what you were walking on. It was a miracle that nobody died,” she said.

Susan explains that it was terrifying for all involved. “The kids were traumatised, we were traumatised. You can’t sleep, you can’t eat, you’re in shock.”

With two feet of water in the house, the damage to her home was extensive and the clean-up was a huge job. The family got 60 dehumidifiers in an attempt to dry out the space. All furniture and flooring were dumped, leaving them with only beanbags on a concrete floor. Currently, Susan and her family are staying in her brother-in-law's house until their home is ready. The damage is extensive and walls will have to be knocked and others replastered; the kitchen will need to be replaced, along with furniture and flooring.

Even with the devastating damage, Susan hopes that she and her young family might make it back to the comfort of their home in time for Christmas, however right now there are no guarantees. “It’s a scary place to be. You’ve three kids, you are out of your house, everything is up in the air and it’s stressful to say the least,” she said.

“I hope we will get back to our in before Christmas. We are just trying to manage it bit by bit. But it will probably be the summer next year before we are any way back to normal.”

Susan is so grateful for the support she has received, including from her fellow students who set up a GoFundMe for her. “I’m in college in Dublin at the Marino Institute, and one of my colleagues decided to set up a GoFundMe and people started donating. They’re amazing, I can’t believe how generous and kind people have been to us,” she said.