Town devastated by Storm Babet prepares for Austen

Preparations for Storm Austen are taking place in Midleton, Co Cork, which was devastated by Storm Babet in October 2023.

A Status Orange rain warning will be in effect for Cork, Kerry and Waterford from 10pm tonight until 5am tomorrow.

Met Éireann said there could be disruption and delays to public transport, flooding and very difficult travelling conditions as the weather system spreads eastwards across the country.

Sinéad Morrissey, owner of Bertelli Menswear on Midleton's Main Street, lost everything when 1.2 metres of water flowed through her business during Storm Babet.

She is worried that not enough has been done to prevent it from happening again.

"I’m feeling very nervous, I’m worried. I will obviously be putting my flood barrier, I’m one of the lucky ones that has one, and after that, there’s nothing further I can do," she said.

"So it is very concerning. There’s going to be an awful lot of rain.

"The town isn’t that much more prepared than it was when Storm Babet hit. So it’s three years on, I still have not received my flood barrier from the IPP scheme that was introduced two years ago. It’s actually coming on Tuesday after this storm.

"It is very concerning. I know what preparations I’m doing inside here in my business, but I feel very alone. I don’t feel the support, I don’t think enough has been done to protect our town and we have been through this and I am angry over it."

Ms Morrissey said that it is extremely concerning that all this is happening "in the middle of the night".

"I’m not going to sleep well this evening."

'Soul destroying' for prosperous town

Eleanor Dunlea is the owner of Lollypop Kids, a children's shoe store on Main Street, Midleton.

Her business was also destroyed by Storm Babet.

As she assembled her floodgate this afternoon, she said that this evening's forecast was "soul destroying".

"There's nothing being done to protect us, which is an insult to the homeowners, first of all, and the businesses in the town," she said.

"It's very disappointing. I don’t know what you’re going to face tomorrow.

"I can only imagine how people feel in their homes as well today, going into bed and not knowing what’s coming down."

Ms Dunlea said that all she can do is "prepare our own businesses as best we can, and hope for the best at this stage".

"It’s just soul destroying that this town’s such a big, prosperous town, nothing done for our homes and businesses here. It’s just an insult."

'Everyone will be on tenterhooks'

Brian Murphy runs Murphy's Butchers with his father. He said storm-like weather conditions are always a worry in Midleton.

"The last storm was devastating for the whole town. Every time there’s wind and rain warnings, it’s always a worry for everyone around the town. Everyone will be on tenterhooks. They’ll be nervous."

He said that there has been work done and hopefully more to follow.

"Hopefully it won’t be as bad as they make it out to be and the protections that they’ve done will do us good, like, you know," Mr Murphy said.

Laura Fitzgerald, the Store Manager at O’Dwyer’s Footwear, said it is disappointing to think of the potential effects of a storm when the town is thriving.

"We are getting the floodgates up tonight and we’re fully preparing for that," she said.

"We're nervous because at the moment, the town is thriving. There’s a lot of new businesses after opening and everything’s going great.

"So, it would be a shame if there was another flood. But all we can do is prepare and hope for the best."