The National Coordination Group this morning has reviewed the impact of the latest storm to hit the country. The Minister for the Environment attended the meeting and was updated on the significant damage and disruption in the transport and energy sectors caused by yesterday’s storm. There was also damage to communication infrastructure and up to 60,000 customers may be without service. There was damage to a number of buildings and major disruption to communities.
The ESB have advised that they have deployed all resources to restore power as quickly as possible. This morning, 190,000 homes and businesses remain without supply. As part of the emergency response today, crews from Northern Ireland Electricity will join ESB Networks staff to assist in the restoration effort. Also ESB Networks crews have been drafted to the worst effected areas from all over the country and are already assisting in the repair work. ESB have advised that it deployed 2,000 staff to deal with power outages, and it could take a number of days to restore power to all areas as some of the infrastructure is in remote areas and access problems may hinder them.
• People should keep warm and take care with alternative forms of energy.
• People are asked to check on vulnerable neighbours in their community in areas without power.
• Persons with specific medical concerns are advised to contact their medical practitioners for advice.
ESB crews will also be prioritising power to infrastructure such as water treatment plants and pumping stations as these facilities can cause public health issues.
Counties in the path of the storm were badly impacted as it moved across the country. Many buildings were damaged and in Killarney the 52 occupants of a nursing home were evacuated after its roof was damaged. In Kilkenny a major emergency was declared as the number of calls for assistance overwhelmed the response capacity.
The public have been reminded to continue to follow the weather warnings and to heed the safety messages of the authorities. People should also be mindful when using candles and open heating sources in the home. All road users are advised to exercise extreme caution as there is still the danger from debris/fallen trees and icy roads today. People should use public transport where available, allowing extra time for journeys and check details with their transport providers in advance of travel.
The group noted the ongoing community resilience and praised the public for heeding safety advises. Met Éireann have said the current unsettled spell will continue tomorrow and Saturday with heavy rain and very strong and gales
The National Co-ordination Group will continue to monitor the situation
National Directorate for fire and emergency Management
Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government
Custom House
Dublin 1
ENDS
Sectoral issues:
Transport
Widespread disruption over night, but is much improved this morning, Iarnrod Eireann deployed 400 staff on the ground, and all bar 4 services have been restored.
Energy
260,000 homes had lost power yesterday, predominately in the South, South West and South East, this number had been reduced to 190,000 by the end of the day. ESB are prioritising critical infrastructure, such as water supplies which had been badly impacted.
Communications
10% - 12% loss of coverage mainly in South West, again these facilities are being prioritised to get these up and running, Eircom estimate that they will restore service to 30-60,000 customers by the end of the day.
999 Service
Saw an increase of calls from the normal 6,000 to 12,000 incidents yesterday, and the number of operators on call was doubled.
Garda
Kilkenny initiated their major emergency plan during the day; this was stood down at 7pm yesterday evening.
HSE
St Luke’ hospital had suffered a loss of power, but this is now back up and running, there are no other major incidents to report.
Local Authorities
The Director of Service from Carlow, Dan McInerney outlined the local piece worked. A major emergency was not declared.
Education
No reports of injuries to pupils or staff. 38 schools are closed in Kerry today, with 14 in Clare and 12 in Limerick also closed.
Weather Warnings are presented in three categories:
A. STATUS YELLOW - Weather Alert - Be Aware
The concept behind YELLOW level weather alerts is to notify those who are at risk because of their location and/or activity, and to allow them to take preventative action. It is implicit that YELLOW level weather alerts are for weather conditions that do not pose an immediate threat to the general population, but only to those exposed to risk by nature of their location and/or activity.
B. STATUS ORANGE - Weather Warning - Be Prepared
This category of ORANGE level weather warnings is for weather conditions which have the capacity to impact significantly on people in the affected areas. The issue of an Orange level weather warning implies that all recipients in the affected areas should prepare themselves in an appropriate way for the anticipated conditions.
C. STATUS RED - Severe Weather Warning - Take Action
The issue of RED level severe weather warnings should be a comparatively rare event and implies that recipients take action to protect themselves and/or their properties; this could be by moving their families out of the danger zone temporarily; by staying indoors; or by other specific actions aimed at mitigating the effects of the weather conditions.