Storm Barra – Waterford City and County Council
With a Status Orange Weather Warning in place in Waterford until 06:00 Wednesday, December 8th, Waterford City and County Council continues to advise people not to travel and to avoid coastal areas.
Throughout the day Waterford City and County Council attended the sites of a considerable number of fallen trees, and these sites were cleared safely and promptly.
According to Gabriel Hynes, Senior Engineer, Waterford City and County Council, there is still the need to exercise care and caution as the effects of Storm Barra will continue to be felt throughout the night and early into Wednesday morning.
“Strong gusts of winds are forecast during the night with the possibility of high winds reoccurring. We have seen throughout the day that this can lead to trees falling, blocking roads and paths. Driving conditions will also be hazardous as there are a lot of fallen branches and debris on the roads.”
“While most of the incidents the Council dealt with today involved fallen trees, there have been incidents of structural damage to some properties in the city.”
“This highlights the strength of the gusts of wind, and as Storm Barra is not expected to abate until tomorrow morning, please keep indoors this evening.”
Coastal areas should be avoided as the OPW High Tide Advisory Notice remains in place for Wednesday, December 8th. Storm surge around the Waterford Estuary is forecast to be significant and in the range from approximately 50cm to 60cm, and this will co-incide with astronomical spring tides close to Highest Astronomical Tide (HAT). This will result in the HAT being exceeded in many coastal locations especially those associated with Orange and Red wind warnings.
All appropriate flood defence barriers have been erected and the situation is being actively monitored. There was some flooding today in Dungarvan at high tide, due to overtopping, and incidents of spot flooding in the city and county which were dealt with by Council crews earlier this morning. The Prom in Tramore has also been closed.
Members of the public can continue to contact Waterford City and County Council’s Customer Services Desks on 0818 10 20 20 during normal office hours after which calls will be transferred to the Council’s emergency services number or email contact@waterfordcouncil.ie
Please note the following emergency contact numbers below:
Emergency 999/112
Irish Water Emergency 1850 278 278
ESB Networks 1800 372 999
Gas Networks Ireland 1850 205 050
Please follow the advice issued by The Irish Coast Guard, Road Safety Authority, An Garda Síochána and Local Authorities.
- Stay away from all coastal areas for the duration of the Met Éireann warnings
- All road users should be aware of the hazardous travelling conditions, and only necessary journeys should be undertaken. Motorists should slow down and be aware of the dangers of fallen trees and debris. High sided vehicles are particularly vulnerable during this time.
- As conditions will vary throughout the event, people need to take account of the local conditions and advice from their Local Authority.
- The public are warned electricity wires are always live, never approach. If you see fallen or damaged wires, keep clear and phone ESB Networks immediately on 1800 372 999/021 238 2410
- Should red level warnings be issued, the public are advised to shelter in place for the duration of the warning.
Waterford City and County Council will continue to monitor the situation, with regular updates on the Councils’ social media channels.
