Defective concrete block homeowners need more help during storms – Cllr

AS the clean-up operation from Storm Amy continues, the frightening situation experienced by defective concrete block homeowners during the storm has prompted calls for action and support for affected families.

Gale-force winds once again caused major disruption across the county, and for those living in defective concrete homes, many were left terrified as winds tore through their already crumbling homes.

Many families, now staying in mobile homes while rebuilding their homes, also faced the full force of the violent winds.

“These people have nowhere to go during the red weather warning,” pointed out 100% Redress Party Councillor Joy Beard who is currently living in a mobile home herself.

“It is actually terrifying – our lives are in the hands of the weather.

“As each storm comes and as each month passes, the structural integrity of a defective block home is compromised.”

Cllr Beard has been pushing for an emergency plan that ensures anyone who feels unsafe has a place to go during extreme weather.

Speaking to the Donegal News, Cllr Beard shared heart-wrenching stories of families already under immense stress that are now burdened even further.

Councillor Joy Beard.

One woman, who is in the middle of rebuilding her family home, experienced panic attacks when she heard that there was another severe storm on the way.

She feared the gable wall of her home would collapse, so her entire family stayed together in one bed on the far side of the room, trying to stay as far away from the unstable wall as possible.

While the council does have a plan for red weather warnings, it’s often too little, too late. The weather warnings are issued with little time for people to prepare or get to safety.

Cllr Beard is calling for the creation of weather hubs around the county where people can go during a severe weather warning.

She also called for a database and a text or call alert system that would notify vulnerable people, especially the elderly, of a weather warning and direct them to the nearest safe location.

“We have a lot of vulnerable and elderly people in homes that might not be active on social media to hear what’s coming down the line,” she said.

While Cllr Beard welcomed the council’s community hubs which were set up in response to Storm Amy to provide essential services to those affected by the storm, she expressed disappointment that these hubs hadn’t been utilised to shelter families during the storm itself.

“It’s a bit galling,” she said. “Those hubs could have been used to help families ride out the storm in safety. But instead, people were left worrying about the safety of their families.”