Varadkar: People might be dead in homes after snow
Now water rationing begins and cities brace for floods
TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar has said he fears people may be found “dead in their homes” in the coming days following last week’s snow storm.
Speaking as he visited emergency efforts in Wexford, he said: “There have been a number of deaths, sadly, and of course there is the possibility that as we clear the roads as we get out to isolated areas, that we may find people dead in their homes in the coming days.”
Meanwhile, widespread water rationing has begun amid fears that reservoirs will run dry as a result of major bursts in the system following Storm Emma.
Already, more than 120,000 households have a restricted supply, while 10,500 homes have no water at all. This comes as snow melt has transformed rivers into raging torrents to create flood alerts.
WIDESPREAD water rationing has begun amid fears reservoirs will run dry as a result of major bursts in the system.
Already more than 120,000 households have restricted supply due to low levels in reservoirs, while 10,500 homes have no water at all.
It comes as snow melt has transformed streams and rivers into raging torrents with major cities and towns now on flood alert given the added threat posed by high spring tides
Despite the onset of a big thaw, communities in parts of Kildare, Wicklow and Wexford remained cut off last night.
Schools in the affected regions will remain closed today as emergency services continue efforts to clear roads.
In the aftermath of Storm Emma, the health service is gearing up for a dreadful fortnight. The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has called for the first two weeks of March to be treated as “an emergency period”.
The Irish Independent understands up to 700 patients were effectively trapped in hospitals over the weekend despite being ready for discharge.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar visited Wexford yesterday where he raised fears that emergency crews “may find people dead in their homes in the coming days”.
He noted there have been a number of road fatalities in recent days, although it is unclear if they were caused by the weather.
“I think it is true to say that things could have been very much worse had it not been for the enormous response of the public service, of gardaí, the health service, the Defence Forces, Civil Defence, all of the different voluntary groups who pulled together, I think, in the last couple of days.
“We spend most of the year and most of the time talking about what doesn’t work in Ireland but it’s on occasions like this that we actually see how well things can work, particularly when people pull together,” he said.
Threat
However, the rising temperatures are now posing a serious threat of their own.
Sean Hogan, chair of the National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG), said principal response agencies “are still in full crisis management mode” in the south-east.
He said today would “not be a normal Monday in many areas”.
“The normal Monday commute will be very different. Where possible, we are asking people to use public transport.”
Employers and employees have been asked to consider staggering opening and start times to reduce peak volumes of commuter traffic as well as options for working from home.
Met Éireann predicts that temperatures over the next few days will remain above 5C, meaning the thaw will continue.
However, there are concerns that frost and fog at night will make for treacherous road conditions.
The two most immediate concerns for the NECG relate to water. Irish Water has warned that some customers will experience “severe impacts from water interruption or restrictions”.
The utility’s chief executive, Jerry Grant, said crews were working “flat out” but many of their issues will only become apparent once the thaw is complete.
“There will be issues for many days,” he said.
The Greater Dublin Area alone saw an increase of over
10pc in demand from Friday to yesterday, leading to the likelihood of night-time restrictions being enforced.
At the same time flooding has already badly hit Dublin and Wicklow, with Dún Laoghaire and Clontarf worst affected.
Cork remains on a high alert for tidal flooding until later today – though the city was spared property damage from high tides over the weekend.
Most public transport will be back operating this morning except in areas where massive snow drifts are still causing problems.
The N7 near Naas, Co Kildare, is posing a “significant challenge” for workers, leading Transport Minister Shane Ross to urge motorists to stay off the road during rush hours.
It is feared that if an accident occurs, emergency services may not be able to attend the scene because the road is down to one lane.