Flood case study - Sheffield
Across Sheffield, flood victims have reported varying degrees of what they consider to be bad or good luck. For one resident, the fact that water "filled the foundations through the air vents but stopped inches short of the floor" left him feeling "quite lucky". Mr X knows he was one of the lucky ones, as he was able to return to his home three days after the flood when the foundations were pumped out.
But for an eighty five year old man who is now staying with a family friend, having lost everything except the pictures, clocks and mirrors on the walls of his Hillsborough maisonette, 'lucky' isn't a word he would use to describe his situation. At the most basic level, he has mentioned that he needs to buy winter clothes as his were contaminated by flood water.
The recovery process has been a long, drawn-out affair for many – Ms R from Ecclesfield said that had she known how long it was going to take to get straight she would have moved out immediately. She has been living in a mess for six months and feels that the insurance company is helpful to a point, but she does feel that the loss adjusters take "far more notice of a man than a woman."
On a general note Ms R commented on the cost of phone calls, eating out and the difficulties she has experienced cooking and washing whilst living upstairs to await her property drying out.
Businesses were also effected in the area with many weddings having to be cancelled as a result of Whitely Hall flooding.
However, the Flood Fund has helped many of these victims. As Mrs E explained, she was struggling to pay bills as well as buying food and clothing for her growing family. In addition to being re-housed the family suffered £800 of damage to their car. Despite being insured they still have the £200 excess to pay and are expecting their insurance premiums to increase in the future. Having received a payment from the Flood Fund, Mrs E said "We have lost so much and it has been a very difficult over the last six months, this payment has been a big help to us all, you have restored my faith in humanity."
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