Published on 

Statement from the National Emergency Coordination Group on Severe Weather 21:45

The NECG has learned of a number of storm-related deaths. The Group extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.

Key Public Safety & Information Messages

  • Following careful consideration by the National Emergency Coordination Group, the Department of Education and Skills, has decided that all schools will remain closed tomorrow, Tuesday.
  •  The NECG reiterated that there is a Red Level Warning currently in place for the entire country. The storm will not abate north of a line from Dublin to Galway until after midnight.
  •  This event is unprecedented with serious life threatening conditions and all unnecessary travel should be avoided while the storm is passing. Do not be outside during the passing of the storm.
  •  Don’t travel during the height of the storm, and take due care when travelling post-storm periods as there could be debris including fallen trees on the roads. Listen to local radio and national media broadcasts regarding the current weather situation.  People need to be vigilant and take personal responsibility for themselves and their families.
  •  High seas are predicted, with the potential for localised coastal flooding as a result of wave overtopping. There has been reports of people on piers, walkways etc near the sea.  You are strongly advised to stay away from coastal areas.
  •  Very strong winds with violent gusts are predicted making driving conditions hazardous, especially for the more vulnerable road users, e.g. cyclists, pedestrians, motorcyclists and high sided vehicles. Road users should pay particular attention to the risk posed by fallen trees and flying debris.
  •  Members of the public are being asked to report any homeless case or individual that they have concerns about to their Local Authority, and the cases will be followed up by each Local Authority area. In the Dublin Region, members of the public can log and report cases of concern on the following website; http://www.homlessdublin.ie/report-rough-sleeper#1.
  •  Given the anticipated extreme weather conditions, today should be a no bike day.
  •  Power outages are occurring around the country, with contingency planning activated by the ESB. Approximately 360,000 homes and business are without power overnight. ESB Networks has been out this evening to start the repair work and will continue at first light tomorrow. The ESB is highlighting the dangers from fallen live wires and is advising the public to stay away from these fallen cables. ESB Emergency Services can be contacted at 1850 372999.
  •  Bus Éireann’s schools transport services are not operating in counties covered by Red level warnings. Bus and rail services are expected to resume in the morning with some minor disruptions. The Luas will not operate tomorrow morning due to storm damage to the Red Cow depot. The situation will be reviewed at midday. Ferry and aviation services are set to resume tomorrow, although some cancellations are expected.
  •  People are asked to check in on isolated and vulnerable neighbours today during the severe weather conditions and again after the worst of the event has passed preferably by phone or text to avoid leaving your home.
  •  People are advised to remove patio furniture, rubbish bins and any loose items from around buildings, which can be turned into missiles by the wind.
  •  Farmers are advised to be conscious of the warnings in place and not to travel alone when checking on livestock, and avoided during the peak of the storm.
  •  People who have travelled to work today, should stay inside until after the storm has passed, checking with transport providers to ensure they have a safe means of travelling home.
  •  The public are again reminded to monitor Met Éireann forecasts for their area and to be aware of the weather conditions and to heed safety warnings. Met Éireann will be providing hourly updates on their website. Information is available across social media platforms and other traditional media sources.

 

  •  The Country is open for business tomorrow morning.

 

Report of the National Emergency Coordination Group meeting

The National Emergency Coordination Group met again for the third time this evening (16 October 2017) to assess the emergent issues in light of the arrival of Storm Ophelia. An Taoiseach and Ministers Murphy, English and Kehoe were in attendance. The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government is designated as the Lead Government Department for coordinating the response to severe weather emergencies at national level and chairs the National Emergency Coordination Group for severe weather.

Met Éireann continue to provide real time information regarding the track of Storm Ophelia and recorded wind speeds obtained from their various observation stations around the country. The identified issues facing the country remain severe wind, coastal surge and heavy rainfall with the likelihood of significant destruction in worst affected areas.

Storm force 10 winds with gusts in the range of 100 - 120 KM/H are predicted for the country above the line from Dublin to Galway, persisting until approximately 24.00 hours.

The NDFEM continue to monitor the situation on the ground as Storm Ophelia progresses through the country. A further NECG meeting is scheduled for 10.00 hours tomorrow to review the situation.

 

Homelessness

The NECG has been informed by the Department of Housing, Planning & Local Government in relation to homelessness. The priority for the Department continues to be ensuring that any homeless person will have access to shelter during Storm Ophelia and the following is the up to date position:  

 

  • Housing First Teams and Local Authorities continue to offer shelter to those on the streets and are transporting individuals to a range of facilities.

 

  • Additional facilities providing shelter and supports to those who need them have opened up across the country today.

 

  •  Notices have been posted in relation to the extra facilities, cafes and emergency beds that are available in the system.

 

  •  There have been over 100 calls to the emergency lines and to the rough sleeper email address from concerned members of the public in relation to homeless individuals. These have all been followed up on.  

 

  •  There are buses in the Dublin area at the moment picking up homeless people and bringing them indoors to safety.

 

  •  Dublin City Council and DRHE have sourced an additional 200 emergency bed spaces in the Dublin area and have confirmed that there is enough capacity in the system to meet the needs of all who wish to receive shelter.

 

  •  In the case of homeless families in hotels, DRHE has advised that hotels are providing food to those families so that they do not need to leave their accommodation.

 

  •  Outside of Dublin, homeless individuals and rough sleepers are being transported to facilities using taxi or local authority mini bus services.

 

  •  Local authorities and NGOs are working on the streets In Limerick, Cork, Galway, Meath, Kildare, Louth and Wicklow to ensure people have shelter and are transporting homeless individuals to facilities. Each of these local authorities has confirmed that while there are power outages and trees down, homeless matters are well under control.

 

Schools

Following careful consideration by the National Emergency Coordination Group, the Department of Education and Skills, has decided that all schools will remain closed tomorrow Tuesday. The decision was primarily taken in the interest of child safety and on the basis of information available in what is a developing situation. While it is recognized that some schools may not be as badly impacted as others, the information available at this time indicates that impacted as others, the information available at this time indicates that over 350,000 businesses and homes are already without power, and severe winds continue to cause damage across the country as the storm progresses. Many regional and local roads are closed due to fallen trees.

 

It is also the  case that school authorities will in very many cases not have had an opportunity to check their buildings and confirm they are safe, have power and water, and that the routes to the school are safely open.

 

It is recognized that the decision to close schools will have a major impact on families and on the workforce. However this decision has been taken in the interest of safety for children and to provide clarity to everyone concerned. The Department of Education and Skills will reassess the decision to close all schools tomorrow.

Weather Outlook

Storm Ophelia (Ex hurricane), situated over county Galway at 1500 hours today, is continuing to track northeastwards. It will bring further violent and destructive winds for a time, with gusts of 120 and 150 km/h. Some flooding is also expected, due to heavy thundery downpours and storm surges in coastal areas (Overtopping). There is a danger to life and property. Winds will gradually abate from the south tonight.  It is anticipated that winds will decrease from a Hurricane force 12 to a Storm force 10 over the next couple of hours.

Spells of heavy rain and storm surges along some coasts may lead to localised flooding. Structural damage is possible anywhere, conditions remain life-threatening while the Red level warning is still in place. The Northwest of the country will likely not experience the full impact of the storm, although some strong winds and heavy rainfall will be experienced over the next couple of hours.

Defence Forces

The Defence Forces has staff on standby at a number of locations in the South and Mid West regions, and are already assisting some Local Authorities with preparations for the upcoming storms. The Defence Forces have a number of resources available including engineering capabilities, transport support (4X4 High wheel base vehicles), pumping, clearing trees (chainsaw crews) and helicopters, which can be made available to the Local Authorities on a priority basis using the standard deployment format.

Health

The HSE has cancelled all non-essential services countrywide. People are advised to stay away from health facilities, unless in urgent need of medical attention. People with appointments will have their appointments rescheduled which will have a knock on effect on electives. The HSE is working with key stakeholders including the ESB and Irish Water to ensure all their facilities are operational. All HSE premises will be assessed tomorrow morning for any damage sustained. The crisis management team will meet againtomorrow to review the response and formulate any actions that need to be implemented as a result.

 

Key Public Safety & Information Messages

  • Following careful consideration by the National Emergency Coordination Group, the Department of Education and Skills, has decided that all schools will remain closed tomorrow, Tuesday.
  •  The NECG reiterated that there is a Red Level Warning currently in place for the entire country. The storm will not abate north of a line from Dublin to Galway until after midnight.
  •  This event is unprecedented with serious life threatening conditions and all unnecessary travel should be avoided while the storm is passing. Do not be outside during the passing of the storm.
  •  Don’t travel during the height of the storm, and take due care when travelling post-storm periods as there could be debris including fallen trees on the roads. Listen to local radio and national media broadcasts regarding the current weather situation.  People need to be vigilant and take personal responsibility for themselves and their families.
  •  High seas are predicted, with the potential for localised coast flooding as a result of wave overtopping. There has been reports of people on piers, walkways etc near the sea.  You are strongly advised to stay away from coastal areas.
  •  Very strong winds with violent gusts are predicted making driving conditions hazardous, especially for the more vulnerable road users, e.g. cyclists, pedestrians, motorcyclists and high sided vehicles. Road users should pay particular attention to the risk posed by fallen trees and flying debris.
  •  Members of the public are being asked to report any homeless case or individual that they have concerns about to their Local Authority, and the cases will be followed up by each Local Authority area. In the Dublin Region, members of the public can log and report cases of concern on the following website; http://www.homlessdublin.ie/report-rough-sleeper#1.
  •  Given the anticipated extreme weather conditions, today should be a no bike day.
  •  Power outages are occurring around the country, with contingency planning activated by the ESB. Approximately 360,000 homes and business are without power overnight. ESB Networks has been out this evening to start the repair work and will continue at first light tomorrow. The ESB is highlighting the dangers from fallen live wires and is advising the public to stay away from these fallen cables. ESB Emergency Services can be contacted at 1850 372999.
  •  Bus Éireann’s schools transport services are not operating in counties covered by Red level warnings. Bus and rail services are expected to resume in the morning with some minor disruptions. The Luas will not operate tomorrow morning due to storm damage to the Red Cow depot. The situation will be reviewed at midday. Ferry and aviation services are set to resume tomorrow, although some cancellations are expected.
  •  People are asked to check in on isolated and vulnerable neighbours today during the severe weather conditions and again after the worst of the event has passed preferably by phone or text to avoid leaving your home.
  •  People are advised to remove patio furniture, rubbish bins and any loose items from around buildings, which can be turned into missiles by the wind.
  •  Farmers are advised to be conscious of the warnings in place and not to travel alone when checking on livestock, and avoided during the peak of the storm.
  •  People who have travelled to work today, should stay inside until after the storm has passed, checking with transport providers to ensure they have a safe means of travelling home.
  •  The public are again reminded to monitor Met Éireann forecasts for their area and to be aware of the weather conditions and to heed safety warnings. Met Éireann will be providing hourly updates on their website. Information is available across social media platforms and other traditional media sources. 
  •  The Country is open for business tomorrow morning.