'I'm absolutely heartbroken': Day-care floods for second time after Storm Chandra hit - and forecasters say more looming for Northern Ireland
A day-care owner says she’s “absolutely heartbroken” after her business was flooded in Storm Chandra – only a couple of years after she’d finished repairing it from the last time it was hit by storm waters.
Superstars Daycare and Afterschool in Gilford, Co Down, is one of many places across Northern Ireland counting the cost of the storm, while forecasters predicted more floods from heavy rain before the end of the week.
Owner Tara told the News Letter that despite the frantic attempts she and her team made to turn back the water, she couldn’t stop it getting into the still-young business she’s poured her heart and soul into.
“It still hasn’t really gone down, so there hasn’t been any clean-up yet,” she said. “This happened in October 2023, the last time the river burst its banks, and it took me about six months and a lot of money to get it sorted out. Because the water hasn’t subsided, I think it’s going to take a lot longer this time.
“We can still use the upstairs of the building, but this has meant the loss of 20 spaces. That’s a big financial hit by itself, let alone with the repair costs on top.”
Tara said she kept trying to call the authorities for help, hoping to get sorted out with sandbags, to no avail. “We just kept being told our call had been logged, that was it,” she said. “The sandbags never turned up.”
But a chink of light in trying times has been the reactions of parents of the children at her day-care. “They’ve been so supportive; one of them was even out during the storm, helping me try to pump water away.”
Meanwhile forecasters predict more bad weather, potentially including more floods, over Thursday night and into Friday.
A yellow warning has been imposed over the entirety of Northern Ireland from midnight to 6pm on Friday, the Met Office stating there will likely be “spells of heavy rain leading to some transport disruption and flooding in places”.
A spokeswoman told the News Letter the province’s “ground is just saturated” as this month Ulster has already received one and a half times the amount of rain it can expect for the average January.
One area, Katesbridge in Co Down, on Tuesday had the single wettest day on record, with 115mm falling over the hours of Storm Chandra. Normally the whole county could expect 104mm over the entire month.
Overnight on Thursday, more heavy rain is due to move across Northern Ireland.
“It has already been an usually wet January,” said the spokeswoman. “There would be concerns over drainage and surface water – the ground is just saturated.
"Overnight on Thursday, some areas will see 10mm to 25mm of rain, while places like the Sperrins could be up to 40mm to 60mm. With that, it would not be unusual to see more flooding and fast-flowing rivers.”
In the wake of Storm Chandra, an MP has called on the government to aid impacted business by handing out money.
Carla Lockhart said firms are “now facing significant losses with no clarity on how they are expected to recover” as they struggle the storm’s aftermath.
For the Upper Bann DUP MP, businesses counting the cost of damaged premises, stock and equipment are most in need of immediate help – and that means, she said, practical aid in terms of money.
“These are family-run enterprises, local employers and the backbone of our communities, and they have been left completely exposed.” she said.
“Stock has had to be relocated with some damage, equipment destroyed and livelihoods put at risk. Business owners are telling me there were no sandbags available when needed and nowhere to turn for financial support at a time when they are already under immense pressure.”
Although people whose homes were hit can get help through support schemes run by councils, the DUP MP said, business owners don’t have anything similar to fall back on.
“These businesses are essential to the life and economy of our towns and villages, and they cannot be left behind,” she stated.
“They are not asking for sympathy. They are asking for practical, timely help. Immediate financial support is needed now to help them keep their doors open.”
The Department of Finance was contacted.