STORM ALI
MANY TREES UPROOTED AND POWER OUTAGES OCCURRED
Dozens of trees were uprooted and roads blocked and power lost as Storm Ali struck the county on Wednesday morning last.
An orange wind warning was issued by Met Eireann for Sligo and 12 other counties from 5am to 1pm on Wednesday and damaging gusts resulted in hazardous driving conditions.
The worst of the storm appeared to be around 8am and 9am as people made their way to work and children went to school.
Some roads were closed as a result of fallen trees and power lines. One driver had a lucky escape when a tree fell on their car on the Ballygawley road. There were electricity outages in several parts of the city and county with most restored by Thursday afternoon.
Gale force winds from Storm Ali with gusts of over 140 km/h over the course of the morning was recorded. Sligo was one of the worst hit counties and the damage was far worse that some of last year’s storms including Storm Ophelia which struck in October 2017. There was also disruption to postal services in Sligo and the North West.
Around Sligo there was flooding at the Back Avenue, Doorly Park and at Mardyke and Gibraltar but it was fallen trees and branches which caused most disruption.
A fallen tree blocked the road at Clooneen, Drumcliffe while there were also trees down at Rathbraughan, Oak Park in Maugheraboy and at Ballytivnan near St John’s Hospital. There was also an overhanging tree at Nazareth House Wall opposite entrance to Jinks’ Avenue. Fallen trees were also reported at the entrance to Markree Castle, near Collooney train station and on the N15 South of Grange near Henry’s Restaurant.
Sligo County Council road crews also had to deal with fallen trees on the Ballina Road, Tubbercurry; near Callaghan’s pub Ballygawley; on the R287 at Slishwood; on the R295 near Foxes Den, Keash; on the Dromahair Road; on access road from Collooney to N4 and on the Collooney- Coolaney Road. There were also fallen ESB wires and branches on the N4 Dublin Road near Castlebaldwin. There were further ESB lines down in the Ballymote area with local road L4303 Quarryfield to Doocastle Road closed as a result.
ESB lines were also down on local road, L5202 and on the Collooney to Ballygawley Road.
By lunch time the worst of the storm had abated, allowing repair crews to speed up road clearance operations.
Cathaoirleach of Sligo County Council, Councillor Martin Baker commended the Council’s Roads and Fire Service personnel and the ESB crews “for their prompt and professional response to the storm damage around the county. They were active from early morning clearing roads and restoring power supplies, often in very difficult circumstances. I would like to thank them on behalf of the people of County Sligo. Their efforts are greatly appreciated.”