Very limited damage as public heed warnings
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Yesterday schools across the district remained closed as did Tomnafinnoge Woods near Shillelagh in the interest of health and safely. WICKLOW’S east coast managed to avoid the devastation caused to other parts of the country by Storm Ophelia, with fallen trees presenting the greatest hazard.
Wicklow County Council’s Severe Weather Co-ordination Group met throughout Monday to consider and review the response of the relevant agencies to Storm Ophelia.
Non-essential council services were closed for the day, including libraries, playgrounds and skateparks and motor tax and planning departments.
On Sunday the Department of Education and Skills announced that schools throughout the country would be closed for both Monday and Tuesday.
Tesco and SuperValu branches were open Monday morning but shut early in the afternoon to avoid the worst of the storm. Banks, shops and cafés in most towns and villages were also closed for the duration of the day.
Cllr Shay Cullen, Cathaoirleach for Wicklow Municipal District, said the local authority was well positioned to deal with any problems caused by the storm.
‘Wicklow might not have fared as badly as other counties but it was still very dangerous, with real heavy gusts of wind. There were lots of fallen trees and branches between Roundwood and Newtownmountkennedy. The clean-up only really starts today (Tuesday) because the weather yesterday was just too bad.
‘ There were a few people out and about, even after all the warnings, but thankfully nothing too serious happened. I have to compliment Wicklow County Council, especially the Roads Department. They kept everyone up to date with reports of any fallen trees. They were very well prepared.’
Council crews, the Fire Service and Civil Defence were busy throughout Monday and late into the night re- sponding to calls for assistance from the public.
On Tuesday council staff were involved in the removal of a toppled tree which was blocking the road near Blainroe. Drivers had been warned to avoid the roads, particularly due to the threat of fallen cables.
There were power outages in Rathdrum, Brittas Bay, Newtownmountkennedy and Wicklow town. By Tuesday morning an estimated 9,000 homes and businesses still didn’t have power.
A spokesperson for ESB acknowledged that it could take days to restore power in some areas.
During the ex-hurricane, members of the public were advised by the Coast Guard to avoid any visits or walks to coastal or cliff areas, though people were spotted along Wicklow Harbour and the Black Castle during the height of the storm. Irish Water has incident plans in place and crews on standby to deal with the effects of Storm Ophelia.
On Monday morning every Fire Crew in County Wicklow was placed on standby so they would be able to respond quickly to any emergencies. Countywide, the Fire Services dealt with 20 incidents, all minor in nature. By Tuesday afternoon Knocksink Wood remained closed, as were some tracks in Wicklow Mountains National Park. However the public are again being warned to brace themselves for the possibility of another storm hitting the coast late Friday or early Saturday. A weather watch has been put in place for guidance.