FERMANAGH FLOODS: Stranded pensioner 'living on island'
AMID the chaos and misery of the floods in Fermanagh a pensioner, isolated for the last seven days by the rising waters, opened the door of her warm, welcoming home to a sodden News Letter reporter and photographer.
In a desperate bid to interview and photograph Annie Martin at her 'island home' on the outskirts of Lisnaskea yesterday afternoon, Gavan Caldwell and myself borrowed one of the many 'communal canoes' which had been simply left abandoned along the side of the road.
After drifting alarmingly off-course into the abyss of flooded fields, and repeatedly crashing into trees, we eventually made it to the front door of Mrs Martin's home, with a much better appreciation of the challenges faced by the people of the Erne county in this ongoing crisis, which shows no signs of abating.
However, the warm welcome we received from Annie could not have been further from the howling winds and driving rain which had made our short voyage along the flooded lane such an epic (and slightly frightening] adventure.
"I haven't been out of my house since last week, but it's not too bad, I have everything I want and need right here," said Mrs Martin, as she served up a cup of tea, complete with baked bread and biscuits.
"My son-in-law, Robin Wheeler, comes to the house here with supplies most days. He is able to wade through the water with anything that I need, so I think I'll get through this not too bad."
Annie, who lives along the Newbridge Road with her two dogs Candy and Tobey, and Twiggy the cat, says the flooding is the worst she has ever seen.
"I have been living here ever since I was married, and I have never seen anything like this. I have been watching the water rising each day, and listening to the weather forecasts every day, every hour almost.
"Hopefully that's the worst of it over, and we'll get back to normal soon. It's a terrible situation, but there isn't really that much we can do about it.
"We have to take what nature throws at us, I suppose that's all we can do," said Annie as the rain continued to beat against the windows of her home.
Across the river which used to be a road, from Mrs Martin's house, the Share activity centre has sustained thousands of pounds worth of damage.
Yesterday, canoeists, more experienced than ourselves, from the centre continued to take expeditions out on Lough Erne – business as usual... almost.
The famous lough has grown over the last week to leave the Share centre's health suite and an IT facility for people with special needs under several feet of murky flood water.
"We have had people out from the insurance company to look at the damage, but I don't think we'll see the full extent of this until the water goes down, whenever that will be," said Rory Martin, marketing officer with the Share centre.
"Certainly a lot of the gym equipment and all the flooring has been wrecked, but I think we are all very saddened to see the IT room for the Killadeas Day Centre ruined.
"This was an important facility for them, and now it is sitting in several foot of water," Rory added.
Local farmer Eamonn McCaffrey described himself as "one of the lucky ones" living along the Kilmore Road, where up to six homes and farms have been completely cut off by the rising water.
"There is another farmer living down the road there who has a large dairy farm. He cannot get the milk out, and he cannot get the food supplies for the cattle in, so he is in a really serious situation," said Mr McCaffrey.
"If you don't have a boat or a tractor around these parts then you aren't going to get very far," he added.
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Weather for Belfast
Monday 28 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: South
