More than 200 calls to council team during Storm Éowyn
Storm damage and after effects discussed at county council meeting
A Westmeath County Council ‘Severe Weather Assessment’ team put in place for Storm Éowyn, dealt with more than 200 calls between midnight on Thursday January 23 and 5pm the next day, Jean Ryan, director of services with the council, has revealed.
“We were getting significant reports of fallen trees, blocked roads, damage to power lines and power outages; structural damage, in particular, roof tiles; and very difficult travelling conditions,” Ms Ryan told elected members at the county council’s January meeting, held three days after the storm.
During the hours in which the red warning was in place, the council did not send response crews out, because of the danger involved. However, as soon as the warning reverted to orange, council teams kicked into action.
Director of services, Jackie Finney, said council officials were conscious of the difficult situations in which some people had been left, with no power, no water, no heat.
She said a local coordination team meeting was held that morning (Monday January 27), with representatives present from the ESB, Uisce Éireann, eir; the HSE, the Department of Social Protection, Westmeath County Council, the Civil Defence, the gardaí and the county council.
“The update we have is that there’s about 10,500 households in Athlone and similar in Mullingar without power,” she told the meeting, adding that Uisce Éireann was having to deliver water to some locations.
“The gardaí and the HSE would all have vulnerable persons lists that they keep, so they’re obviously in touch with and are aware of households that are particularly vulnerable,” she said, adding that the Department of Social protection had a humanitarian fund in place, and Westmeath Community Development, on an ongoing basis, runs visitation services and home services to people who are isolated, while for those who needed to be moved, the Department of Defence provided transport.
Ms Finney also said that there were council staff on helplines aimed at assisting the public. Also established had been a number of community hubs, including in Multyfarnham and Clonkill GAA.