Hurricane Ophelia has brought out the very best in our communities

THE emergency services, community volunteers, utility companies, the Government and state agencies deserve praise for their response to Hurricane Ophelia which battered much of the country on Monday. Often the Government and our local authorities have been criticised for their response to potential and unfolding disasters but in this case the systems put in place have worked remarkably well.

The hurricane caused death and devastating damage across vast swathes of the country that will likely cost many millions of Euro to fully repair.

However, the early warnings from Met Éireann and the Government’s National Emergency Co-ordination Group almost certainly saved many more people from serious injury or worse.

We won’t learn the full toll of Ophelia for several days – perhaps even weeks – but even at this early stage we can say with some certainty that the State’s response prevented even greater damage and destruction.

Irish people often have a blasé attitude to weather warnings but the Government’s efforts to hammer home the safety message meant that by Sunday everyone should have been well aware of what lay in store.

In the face of such looming threats it’s not unusual to see schools and public sector offices and facilities closed but it was encouraging to see the private sector looking after the safety of their staff.

Across Ireland, businesses – from major chains to small shops – closed for the day and it was reassuring to see that, for once, the pursuit of profit took second place to people’s well-being.

The many businesses that opened their doors to shelter the homeless from the wrath of the storm should also be applauded.

Local authorities in the affected areas also did sterling work providing constant updates on the fast unfolding situation.

Our state bodies are frequently - and often justifiably – criticised for their inability to work together efficiently. The reaction to Hurricane Ophelia shows that when the chips are down our state agencies can pool their resources and co-operate in a productive and streamline manner.

If we can take one positive from the storm it’s that, though it is a shame that it takes a crisis to prove it.

The greatest praise however must go to the thousands of selfless men and women who risked their lives on Monday to keep the rest of us safe.

Be they members of the emergency services, volunteers on sea and land rescue teams, local authority workers or staff from bodies like the ESB or Irish Water, they all deserve our sincere thanks.

While hundreds of thousands of people followed the Government’s advice and sheltered in their homes these brave, altruistic men and women were out, braving the very worst of the weather, striving to keep their communities safe.

To them, from all at this paper, we say a heartfelt well done and a sincere thank you.