People left 'in dire straits' after Storm Éowyn
A fallen tree makes the Castlebar to Pontoon road at Ross completely impassable due to the hurricane force Storm Eowyn. Picture: David Farrell Photography
The Cathaoirleach of Westport-Belmullet Municipal District has described how the whole community in Mayo suffered severe consequences as a result of Storm Éowyn.
Reflecting on the outcome of the biggest storm in the country for years, Belmullet-based Cllr Sean Carey told last week's municipal district meeting that the high winds had caused "tremendous damage to the whole area and affected the whole community in Mayo, including businesses, community centres, entire households and farmers".
“A lot of people were left without not just electricity but even water and while all emergency services were out doing their best and an awful lot of work had to be done, with ESB crews coming over from England and far afield, the end result was that an awful lot of families were affected.
“This happened particularly in our local area in Erris, and in some cases, people relying on electrical medical equipment for their day-to-day living were left in dire straits and, of course, for older people, it has been a very challenging time.”
Cllr Carey pointed out that with water, electricity and all power services gone, people were also left without any means of communication, adding: “While we called out to as many as we could and assisted as much as we could, it was clear that many were so delighted just to be able to talk to someone and let them know what was wrong; and for us to be able to let them know in turn that someone was working on their behalf to try and get services back.”
Expressing thanks to Midwest Radio for providing 24-hour coverage during the storm, and for keeping people informed, Cllr Carey said it was good that people had this source of communication at least, although it could only be listened to by those who still happened to have a battery radio.
He noted that a previous request to contact Uisce Éireann for the purpose of securing generators for water treatment plants had still not produced a result. Recalling that there had already been three storms in a recent six-week time period, Cllr Carey warned: “We have to be better prepared in relation to future storms because the situation now is just dangerous.”
