Church hoping to find positive side of suffering two feet of dirty flood water

Noel McCune is an elder at Riverside Church on Basin Walk, a Reformed Presbyterian Church with 40 members.

“There was over two feet of water in the church building and church hall so there's a lot of damage,” he told the News Letter.

“When we came into the church hall the chairs were floating in the water.”

The church congregation is made up of people from Spain, Argentina, Thailand and France as well as locals.

“Before this happened we were in fairly good heart. It is sad and there is a lot of upheaval obviously in trying to find somewhere to worship temporarily when repairs need to be done.

“Generally, people are sad about it but we are trying to see it in the light of our faith – sometimes good can come out of these things, so we try to see it positively.”

By yesterday the water had all left the main church building and there was about an inch left in their church hall.

Fortunately, unlike some businesses in Newry, their insurance is covering the damage.

A loss adjuster is coming to survey the scene today.

“The church is a nice building and we feel sad to see the damage that has been done,” Mr McCune added.

The carpets in the church and the wooden floor of the church hall will need to be replaced as it has been bowed by the water.

Water which seeped into the church and hall contained heating oil and diesel and has left behind dirty residue, he said.

Some Bibles have also been destroyed.