Met Éireann have issued a Red Weather Wind Warning for Meath.
Storm Éowyn will bring severe, damaging and extremely destructive gusts in excess of 130km/h. This will be in place from 6AM-11PM on Friday 24 January Meath.
- Meath County Council's Severe Weather Assessment Team have met to plan for the severe and destructive storm;
- All Cemeteries, Parks and Recycling Centres will be closed for the duration of the storm and will only re-open after they have been assessed for damage;
- Emergency Crews are on standby to monitor the situation and respond as required;
- People are encouraged to stay away from the sea and remain indoors. Access to beach and waterfront areas in the County have been designated off-limits. The Irish Coast Guard is appealing to people to “Stay Back, Stay High, Stay Dry”. There is the potential for tidal flooding in coastal areas;
- River screens and gullies have been cleared of leaves in advance to reduce any flooding. Our outdoor crews have been deployed to inspect key high-risk areas and will continue to monitor the situation throughout the storm;
- Please call Meath County Council Customer Service on 046 9097000 or email customerservice@meathcoco.ie to report an issue;
- Further updates will be available here and on our social media channels when information becomes available.
Impacts of Storm Éowyn:
- Danger to life
- Extremely dangerous travelling conditions
- Unsafe working conditions
- Disruption and cancellations to transport
- Many fallen trees
- Significant and widespread power outages
- Impacts to communications networks
- Cancellation of events
- Structural damage
- Wave overtopping
- Coastal flooding in low-lying and exposed areas
Electricity Network
The electricity network may be severely impacted and we advise the public to prepare for the arrival of the storm including ensuring your mobile phone is fully charged.
ESB Networks is highlighting the dangers posed by fallen live wires and is advising the public and the emergency services to stay away from these fallen cables and to report such cases to it immediately. ESB Emergency Services can be contacted at 1800 372 999. You can monitor www.PowerCheck.ie for power restoration times.
Prepare in advance by having essential supplies on hand, have your phone charged and have a torch accessible with an extra supply of batteries.
Uisce Eireann
For urgent water supply queries please call 1800 278 278. Water supply updates are available on www.water.ie.
Public Safety Information
Before the storm
- Secure loose objects such as ladders, garden furniture or anything else that could be blown into windows and other glazing and break them
- Close and securely fasten doors and windows, particularly those on the windward side of the house, and especially large doors such as those on garages
- Park vehicles in a garage, if available; otherwise keep them clear of buildings, trees, walls and fences
- If the house is fitted with storm shutters over the windows then ensure that these are closed and fastened
- If chimney stacks are tall and in poor condition, move beds away from areas directly below them
During the storm
- Stay indoors as much as possible
- If you do go out, try not to walk or shelter close to buildings and trees
- Keep away from the sheltered side of boundary walls and fences - if these structures fail, they will collapse on this side
- Do not go outside to repair damage while the storm is in progress
- If possible, enter and leave your house through doors in the sheltered side, closing them behind you
- Open internal doors only as needed, and close them behind you
- Take care when driving on exposed routes such as bridges, or high open roads, delay your journey or find alternative routes if possible
- Slow down and be aware of side winds, particular care should be taken if you are towing or are a high sided vehicle
- Do not drive unless your journey is really necessary
After the storm
- Be careful not to touch any electrical/telephone cables that have been blown down or are still hanging
- Do not walk too close to walls, buildings and trees as they could have been weakened
- Make sure that any vulnerable neighbours or relatives are safe and help them make arrangements for any repairs