The National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG) met again today (Friday) to continue to coordinate efforts to restore power, water, telecommunications and other services following Storm Éowyn.
Supported by Government Departments
and agencies on the NECG, ESB Networks continues to mobilise all available resources to restore power connections as soon as possible.Today’s NECG meeting follows meetings Taoiseach Micheál Martin held yesterday afternoon with ESB Networks and Uisce Éireann. The Taoiseach emphasised the need to review the impact this unprecedented storm has had on electricity and water services and to put a very strong focus on preparedness, building resilience and protecting the electricity grid and water infrastructure for the future.
Power has been restored to 761,000 homes, farms, schools, and businesses however, 7,000 customers remain without supply. Customers should note that after being reconnected, they may experience some short disruptions to power to allow neighbours to be safely reconnected.
In the areas with the largest number of faults, as ESB Networks make progress to repair the extensive damage, some customers may see their estimated restoration times change over the coming days. If you are in a position to visit www.PowerCheck.ie , estimated restoration times will continue to be updated.
The NECG is again emphasising the importance of safety as storm clean up continues. If you come across fallen wires or damaged electricity networks, never, ever touch or approach these as they are live and extremely dangerous. Report any damage to electricity infrastructure by calling 1800 372 999. Clean up and repair operations should be left with professional operators who have the necessary competence to undertake the work safely. Only trained and competent operators equipped with the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) should ever use chainsaws.
Uisce Éireann is working to return service to the final few customers without water and significant progress has also been made in restoring telecommunication services.
Several large-capacity generators have been provided by Poland and Denmark, following a request under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. The generators are being deployed to support ESB Networks, Uisce Éireann and telecommunications operators to bring power, water, phone and broadband services back to homes, schools and businesses.
The NECG will meet again tomorrow, and the relevant subgroups continue to progress work in their respective areas.
The NECG is the established central government platform for responding to national level emergencies under the Strategic Emergency Management Framework.
Power
Approximately 7,000 homes, farms, schools and businesses remain without power following Storm Éowyn. ESB Networks is mobilising all available resources to restore power as soon as possible. Already power has been restored to 761,000 customers and intensive work will continue.
ESB Networks are working towards restoring the majority of these customers over the coming days however, in the areas with the largest number of faults, some customers may see their estimated restoration times change, in some cases, into the weekend. If you are in a position to visit www.PowerCheck.ie/ , estimated restoration times will continue to be updated.
In some instances, when carrying out restoration work on main lines, customers whose power has been reconnected should be aware that they may experience some short disruptions to power for very short periods of time to allow neighbours to be reconnected. These interruptions ensure that restoration work can safely take place on the system.
Skilled technicians from counterparts in Austria, Finland, Great Britain, Germany, and Norway are on the ground in the worst impacted areas. They are supporting over 2,500 local ESB Networks crews and partner contractors who have been bolstered by colleagues from the south and east of the country, as well as skilled retirees.
In addition to the crews deployed, over 1,300 support staff are involved in overseeing damage assessment, emergency call management, logistics and network operations. ESB Networks’ customer contact centre has also doubled its resources to accommodate the unprecedented high volumes of calls, resulting in short call response times throughout the day and night for their customers.
An Important Public Safety Message: ESB Networks reminds the public to Stay Safe, Stay Clear of fallen electricity wires. If you come across fallen wires or damaged electricity network, never, ever touch or approach these as they are LIVE and extremely dangerous. Please report any damage to electricity infrastructure by calling 1800 372 999. Clean up and repair operations should be left with professional operators who have the necessary competence to undertake the work safely. Only trained and competent operators equipped with the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) should ever use chainsaws.
Water
Uisce Éireann is working to restore water to the final few customers without service. Nearly all customers have now had their water supply restored since the storm. Uisce Éireann teams will continue their efforts to restore supply to any remaining areas, as well as carrying out business-as-usual repair and maintenance works on the network.
Updates on supply updates are available on the Uisce Éireann website, www.water.ie , and customers can also contact Uisce Éireann directly on 1800 278 278.
Telecoms
The estimated effect of Storm Éowyn on the national telecoms userbase was the largest in Comreg’s recording history.
As of 10:00am, Friday 7 February:
• 0.46% of fixed service users are without services;
• 1.28% of mobile service users are experiencing some level of degradation of service.
Repair and restoration work has returned normal services to most customers and several fixed service operator networks have been returned to normal service levels.
That notwithstanding, the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications recognises that many areas in the north and west of the country continue to be affected by outages, which have been caused by extensive damage to infrastructure in rural areas.
Operators of fixed line services have indicated that it may still take a number of weeks to fully restore their services due to the significant damage caused.
Restoration of full services has been hampered by the complexity of the repairs required to restore damaged infrastructure. Telecommunications operators continue to engage with ComReg and report outages across their networks. They have mobilised all available resources to further the restoration of these services.
Generators provided via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism
Ireland has been actively working with colleagues in the EU Civil Protection Mechanism since 22 January requesting an initial damage assessment through Copernicus (satellite mapping).
When severe emergencies occur, national authorities first develop an overview of the situation, making requests based on the needs identified. It is essential that a needs assessment be carried out to ensure appropriate and detailed requests can be made for limited shared resources.
The NECG Infrastructure sub-group identified the need for large capacity generator support which was relayed through the Common Emergency Communications & Information System (CECIS) on the afternoon of Saturday, 25 February.
Ireland was offered:
• 10 x 27.5 KvA generators (RescEU stockpile, Poland)
• 2 x 512 KvA generators (RescEU stockpile, Poland)
• 1 x 100 KvA generators (Denmark)
• 3 x 150 KvA, generators (Denmark)
The generators have been deployed to support Uisce Éireann and telecommunications infrastructure.
Local emergency response
Local authorities are coordinating a local-level humanitarian assistance response to the needs of people who have been significantly impacted by the storm.
Local Coordination Groups are now remain in place in 11 local authority areas.
A key focus is on ensuring the welfare of isolated people and those most impacted by the loss of power, water and other services. A number of organisations, including Uisce Éireann, ESB Networks, An Post, An Garda Síochána, HSE and Local Link are checking in on people and any concerns will be raised through the Local Coordination Group for follow up.
Any member of the public who has any concerns about friends, family or neighbours can contact their Local Coordination Group helpline who will follow up. Helpline numbers are available at www.gov.ie/stormresponse .
There are 187 Emergency Response Hubs currently operational, down from a high of 380. These include community-led hubs with local authority financial and administrative supports. Emergency Response Hubs are assisting people with basic needs such as water, hot food, phone charging, broadband access, and shower facilities.
At lunchtime today, emergency response hubs were operating in the following locations. Check with your local authority for the latest updates.
o Cavan – 4 hubs
o Donegal – 34 hubs
o Galway City – 3 hubs
o Galway County – 34 hubs
o Leitrim – 17 hubs
o Longford – 6 hubs
o Mayo – 22 hubs
o Monaghan – 2 hubs
o Roscommon – 25 hubs
o Sligo – 20 hubs
o Westmeath – 20 hubs
Further details on the above hubs are available at www.gov.ie/stormresponse and an interactive map of hubs is available here .
Humanitarian Assistance Scheme
The Humanitarian Assistance emergency financial payment is available to homeowners in the immediate aftermath of a severe weather event. It is open to homeowners in affected areas who do not have any power or water supply and includes support to pay for alternative accommodation if necessary.
Stage 1 provides emergency support payments for food, clothing and personal items in the immediate aftermath of the event. These payments are not income tested and are generally for essential food and clothing based on the immediate needs of impacted individuals.
Non-income tested support is available under Stage 1 of the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme for alternative accommodation costs.
The Humanitarian Assistance Scheme can also provide income-tested support for the replacement of goods and more extensive longer-term support.
The Community Welfare Service is working closely with the local authorities and Community Welfare Officers are visiting people in their homes where necessary to provide support.
If any homeowner affected by severe weather needs to access these supports, emergency Community Welfare Service contact details are available here: gov.ie - Customer Notices
More information on the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme is available here .
Education
All schools are open, based on having their power restored or through the use of a generator for the coming days pending restoration of power by ESB Networks.
School management should note that, after being reconnected, some schools may experience some short disruptions to power to allow households, other schools and businesses in their vicinity to be safely reconnected.
Public safety – electricity, generators, carbon monoxide
ESB Networks has been made aware of potentially very dangerous incidents where members of the public have unknowingly approached fallen electricity infrastructure. People are reminded to stay safe, stay clear of fallen electricity wires.
If you come across fallen wires or damaged electricity networks, never, ever touch or approach these as they are LIVE and extremely dangerous. Please report any damage to electricity infrastructure by calling 1800 372 999.
Clean up and repair operations should be left with professional operators who have the necessary competence to undertake the work safely. Only trained and competent operators equipped with the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) should ever use chainsaws.
Arising from storm Éowyn, and subsequent damage to the ESB network, the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) understands that electrical generators are being used to provide temporary replacement power. When installing and using electrical generators, it is crucial to ensure that the electrical installation work is carried out by a competent person.
Persons installing generators should observe the electrical safety standards and ensure they do not connect a generator to a socket or distribution board. Doing so will create a feed onto the electricity network and will pose a danger to others including ESB network repair crews. It’s important to know that portable generators can bring a fire risk and emit carbon monoxide (CO) – a poisonous, deadly gas.
• Store fuel for the generator in a container that is intended for the purpose and is correctly labelled as such. Store the containers outside of living areas.
• Use portable generators outdoors in well-ventilated areas at least 7 metres from all doors, windows, and vent openings. Measure the 7-metre distance from the generator to the building.
• Never use a generator in an attached garage, even with the door open.
• Place generators so that exhaust fumes can’t enter the home through windows, doors or other openings in the building. The exhaust must be directed away from the building.
• Make sure to install carbon monoxide (CO) alarms in your home. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for correct placement and mounting height.
• Turn off generators and let them cool down before refuelling. Never refuel a generator while it is hot.
The public are also reminded:
• Never to use outdoor fuel-burning equipment like barbeques or patio heaters indoors or in an unventilated area.
• Never to use indoor cooking appliances to heat a room.
• Ensure your chimney is swept and unblocked before lighting a fire, and keep the room ventilated.
• Install one or more Carbon Monoxide alarms and test them once a month.
For more safety guidance, visit www.carbonmonoxide.ie .
Security and scams
The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and the National Cyber Security Centre are aware of scam text messages in circulation purporting to come from ESB Networks.
Users should exercise caution when receiving messages from unknown numbers.
Government departments and agencies or your bank will never phone, text, email or video call you unexpectedly asking for your bank details.
Users should not engage directly, nor share any personal information if asked, and should block and report the suspicious number if necessary.
If you believe you are a victim of a cyber-crime, contact your local Garda station and take screenshots of texts, emails or other communications.
Further information is available on www.ESB.ie .
Healthcare
HSE will provide regular updates through local media and on national and regional social media channels.
In situations where service users have no electricity at home and are reliant on electronically powered medical devices, they should immediately consider the following advice:
• Check for updates: Contact ESB Networks for reconnection updates at 1800 372 757 and check outage information on www.PowerCheck.ie
• Seek an alternative location to recharge or power a device. If possible, move to a place with electricity, such as a relative’s or friend’s home or visit a community hub. https://www.gov.ie/en/news/19c88-storm-response/.
• Seek an alternative means to power the device: This may involve a backup battery or a Battery Powerpack.
• If you are concerned, please seek medical advice; If you are worried about the impact of the power outage on your therapy, contact your GP, GP out of hours or an emergency department.
• Act immediately in an emergency: If the situation becomes critical, contact emergency services without delay.
Farm safety
• Farmers are urged not to put their safety at risk when carrying out repairs or when removing fallen trees.
• The ESB should be contacted immediately to report any fallen or damaged power lines. Always treat fallen electricity wires as if they are live.
Forestry
• Ministers Heydon and Healy-Rae have established a Taskforce comprising key stakeholders to ensure that storm-damaged forests are managed safely and appropriately.
• The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, along with Coillte, has begun assessing the damage caused by the recent storms using satellite imagery. This will provide information nationally and at forest level.
• Windblow and Storm damage Guidance has issued to forest owners with the emphasis at this early stage on safety, the importance of not rushing in, and of getting advice.
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