Council preparing for Storm Lorenzo
Fingal County Council has activated its Crisis Management Team and its Severe Weather Assessment Team in response to the Severe Weather Warning issued by Met Eireann for Thursday and Friday of this week.
Met Eireann has issued Status Yellow Wind and Rain Warnings for Fingal. They are forecasting winds of up to 65kmh and gusts of up to 100kmh between 09:00 on Thursday and 06:00 on Friday which could result in some disruptive impacts. Spells of heavy rain are forecast between 09:00 on Thursday and 09:00 on Friday which may result in flooding.The Council’s focus at the moment is on preventable measures such as checking and clearing gullies and drains while also preparing to deal with flooding, fallen trees and damage to property in the aftermath of the storm.
The Council plans to deploy all available resources to deal with issues arising from Storm Lorenzo and will try to resolve issues which occur as quickly as possible. Operations and Water Services crews have been placed on standby as have the Emergency Management Unit and Civil Defence.
Citizens are advised to check their properties and ensure that items which could be blown away, such as garden furniture and flower pots, are secured or removed indoors. They are also advised to prepare for power cuts and be aware of the dangers posed by fallen power lines. Business owners and homeowners are also advised to check their own drains.
Members of the public are advised to stay away from beaches, harbours and coastal walkways and to remain indoors. Boat owners are being urged to check moorings and vessels before the weather worsens. High tides will occur at 3.18am and 3.44pm on Thursday, and at 4.12am and 4.37pm on Friday. The Council, and its specialist consultants RPS, are also monitoring areas where coastal erosion may occur and are liaising with the Fingal Coastal Liaison Group
Members of the public and elected representatives can submit reports of issues caused by flooding and falling trees to www.fixyourstreet.ie. Issues can also be phoned in to 01-8905000, which is manned on a 24/7 basis. These reports will be logged and assessed.
Within communities, contact should be made with elderly and vulnerable neighbours before, during and after the storm. Reports of people sleeping rough should be phoned to 1800 707 707 or posted online at http://www.homelessdublin.ie/report-rough-sleeper#1
At the moment all Council offices, community centres, libraries, parks, heritage properties and other public facilities will remain open on Thursday and Friday but updates will be posted as required through our usual communications channels including the Fingal Alerts App, our website, www.fingal.ie, and our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts. The hashtag being used by Government agencies in relation to this event is #Lorenzo.
Citizens requiring further information on how to prepare for the impending storm should log on to www.emergency.ie and keep monitoring Met Éireann forecasts to be aware of the weather conditions. Everybody is advised to heed any safety warnings issued by statutory agencies.