A Donegal village devastated by this week’s torrential flooding has turned to crowdfunding and Irish America to help occupants of 30 destroyed homes.

Stephen O'Donnell, chairman of the local GAA club in Burnfoot, has reached out to the Diaspora, especially those from Donegal, through IrishCentral hoping for assistance to re-house and buy clothes for residents.

He stated: “They are now homeless with very few possessions. The local council has said that they are out of these homes until next year and they will try their best to rehouse them, but there isn't a lot of houses available in the area for them to move into.

Not a good night in Burnfoot #Donegal #flooding #burnfoot pic.twitter.com/jMRm9CqjEK

— James Sweeney (@JamesSweeney74) August 23, 2017

"Currently all the residents are staying with friends and neighbors until a home is found for them. Some of the residents have young families who are supposed to start school next week but have nothing!!.

"I...hope that our relations from across the pond will be able to donate some money to try to get these people back on their feet.”

This is the Go Fund Me link to donate. 

Tuesday night saw four inches of rainfall in a matter of hours. Quiet country roads were transformed into roaring rivers, bridges collapsed, cars were washed away and hundreds had to evacuate their homes.

Speaking the day after the floods to RTÉ, one resident said, “There was no emergency services last night, no support. You’re just on your own.”

@rtenews #floods People in Burnfoot Inishowen say they have lost everything after flooding pic.twitter.com/BGKVhKX8KA

— TERESA MANNION (@TeresaMannion) August 23, 2017

O’Donnell said in Burnfoot, which is on the Inishowen peninsula, there at least 100 people (out of a population of 450) now homeless.

Read More: Ireland hit by the heaviest rain storms in 100 years

While the water has now gone away many homes remain damp and completely uninhabitable.

“[They] now have six inches of sludge on the floor which is combination of water, mud, sewage and fuel from oil tanks,” O’Donnell told IrishCentral.

“The council [local government] have told residents at the moment they have the option of staying with a relative or a bed and breakfast for the next 5 days after which they hope to have them rehoused.  

“The problem is that there is a lack of housing in our area so people will have to move to another area away from their home which leads to all sorts of other problems including transportation to school, etc.

An example of the sheer destruction and damage the heavy rain caused overnight. This is the main Quigley's Point to Muff road in #Donegal pic.twitter.com/ogX4hxY7am

— Barry Whyte (@BarryWhyte85) August 23, 2017

“The council started assessing the damage at these homes this morning but expect that the repairs will take at least into the new year at the earliest.”

At the time of writing $3,665 had been raised on O’Donnell’s GoFundMe page only a few hours after going live.

The hope is that they’ll be able to raise $35,000 in total but most are also hoping for state aid. Only a few miles across the border in Northern Ireland households affected have already been promised $1,300 to help with the cleanup, but the Irish Government has been coy about its intentions. Government Chief Whip and Donegal legislator Joe McHugh said that it was “essential that an emergency aid package is put together” but declined to go into any details.

At a minimum six major bridges will need to be rebuilt in the county and urgent repairs are required on a number of roads.

Extra funding for flood defenses will likely be discussed. Burnfoot has historically been prone to flooding but funding for flood defenses was declined on the basis that it did not meet “a cost benefit analysis at the time.”

Taoiseach @campaignforleo extends sympathies to all effected by Donegal flooding, outlines Government response @donegalcouncil @welfare_ie pic.twitter.com/dT3W4w5v6q

— MerrionStreet.ie (@merrionstreet) August 24, 2017

With many millions now due to be spent on the cleanup and repairs there’s a good chance the state may reconsider.

Related: Weather