Wicklow County Council’s Severe Weather Co-ordination Group reconvened this evening (Monday) to consider and reviewed the response of the relevant agencies to Storm Ophelia.
Council staff and Gardai have been responding to numerous reports of fallen trees around the county. However, in many cases the Council will not be in a position to deal with the fallen trees until tomorrow (Tuesday) when it is safe to do so.
Irish Water is responding to several reported instances of loss of supply while the ESB is also responding to a number of power outages at different locations in the county.
The following Council services remain on standby:
- Outdoor Crews
- Fire Service
- Civil Defence
Earlier warnings to the public to take great care and extreme caution during the storm remain in place.
The Council urges the public to stay away from piers, harbours and the coastline generally during this extreme weather event.
Drivers and pedestrians are strongly advised to stay off the roads. Fallen trees pose a serious risk to all road users.
The ESB is advising the public to stay away from fallen cables.
In relation to services for the homeless, Fassaroe Community Centre, Bray, is open today with volunteer staff. Five Loaves Bray is working and will provide meals etc. Any costs associated with this will be borne by Wicklow County Council.
Also, in preparation for the impending storm, the Peter McVerry Trust has put a provision in place across the region to assist rough sleepers. They have designated a number of sites in Dublin city and also Michael Garry House in Newbridge, Co Kildare, as part of the emergency response. Notifications will be up on the Peter McVerry Trust website. Any individual or agency who comes across a rough sleeper should direct them to the designated locations.
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. Information is available across social media platforms and other traditional media sources.
The Council’s Severe Weather Co-ordination Group will be reconvening at 9am tomorrow (Tuesday) to further monitor the situation. An updated communication will issue following this using the Council’s various communications platforms, including website, social media etc.
Urgent calls can be directed to Wicklow County Council on 0404 20100 or after 5pm on 01 2916 117.
