‘Water swept away all we had’ – heartbroken mum
DOMINIC MOFFITT
AMUM awoke to contaminated flood water filling her house as Storm Ciara hit Hyndburn.
Carrie Paterson, 33, and her partner, 36-year-old David Nicol, of Bold Street, Accrington, were shaken awake by their son on Sunday, February 9.
The couple sleep in the living room of their home to allow their four children to have their own rooms upstairs and were told that there was a leak in the kitchen.
None the wiser, Carrie went to turn the stopcock off. When she turned back round she was met by a deluge of flood water which reached as high as the fireplace.
“The water had flooded right up to my knees,” said Carrie.
“The whole flood has left us in a complete mess, it smells like a fish tank in the house, it absolutely stinks, it’s disgusting.
“The water has gone over the skirting boards and gone up the wall.
“The carpets are ruined, all my wooden furniture, all my pictures are ruined, and it was all contaminated water so we can’t just wipe it down. We are going to have to leave a lot of the furniture here when we leave. My carpet was just bubbles, it was floating on the water.
“I had to open the door to let the water out, it had to go somewhere, and a lot of my belongings just followed the water.”
Carrie’s four children have been massively affected by the flood water with all of them having to leave the house to live with relatives. Her youngest, 18-month-old daughter Sydney-Louise Nicol, has been the worst hit.
Carrie said: “I’ve lost everything for my baby, the dining room was a play room with all her toys in it and that completely flooded. Her new carry cot was floating on the water, that’s ruined, and all her blankets are gone.
“The fact that it’s not long after Christmas meant that all the presents she got are ruined. It’s been a complete nightmare.”
Carrie and David, with their 16-year-old EllesseJayne, Keira-Leigh, 15, Taylor-Joe who is 11 and 18-month-old Sydney-Louise, will now have to leave the family home.
“The kids just want to come home,” said Carrie.
“But we will have to leave this house and move to a completely new one.
“I’ve lost everything, we have no fridge, no freezer, no washer, no white goods. We’ll be moving into a house with no furniture either. We are basically relying on handouts but everyone has been amazing in supporting us, all the neighbours have let the kids stay in their houses.”