Scale of Cumbrian flood damage is revealed as families return home

Nov 24 2009 by Michael Wood, The Journal

A very unhappy homecoming

AFTER the long wait to return to their homes and businesses, yesterday provided an unhappy homecoming for many people in the devastated town of Cockermouth.

Mother-of-one Natalia Ekarad, 28, returned to her home in Main Street to find her kitchen and lounge ruined by the flood.

On seeing the damage, she said she was simply "devastated".

"We have been here two years and were so happy. Now everything is gone," she said. "My husband and my nine-month-old baby have not come back yet – they are still at a rest centre – and I was dreading coming here today.

"I just cannot believe it. I have no idea what we will do."

Many business owners stood in the street in a state of shock, gazing at their ruined properties.

Elaine Oxon, owner of fashion store Westmidges in Main Street, said she had lost her entire stock.

"I was very nervous about coming back, we have just celebrated 12 months here and it was our first venture," she said.

"The smell is absolutely horrendous, it might be contaminated.

"We may never be able to open again and I feel like giving up. Everything is ruined."

Ann Morgan, a personal banker at Lloyds TSB in Main Street, told of the terrifying moment she thought she might be trapped in the bank last Thursday.

"We were trying to lock things away but my colleague told me we had to get out.

"I was terrified. By the time I got to the other side of the road I was waist deep in water.

"I have worked here for 27 years and was so shocked seeing the devastation to the building.

"We are just trying to deal with it all, it is a very emotional time," she said.

Catherine Hetherington, owner of The New Bookshop in Main Street, returned to find all of her books have been destroyed.

"We have had the shop for 40 years in our family and just renovated it last year.

"I was anxious about coming back but knew what to expect, it is really bad and will take a lot of sorting out. We will have to start from scratch."

Card shop owner Fiona Robinson said her heart sank when she opened the door to her business, to discover water-soaked stock strewn all over the floor.

"We have been here for just five months and the run-up to Christmas would have been our busiest time.

"We knew in our hearts what we would come back to and we have shed tears, but at least we have a home to go to," she said.