Storm Éowyn: Leitrim County Council reflects on unchartered territory

350 crisis incidents, 1100 trees removed, 32 humanitarian hubs, 1000 meal vouchers, and 500 emergency calls. These staggering figures reveal the scale of destruction and response effort following Storm Éowyn, which shook the country on January 24.

In the weeks that followed, Leitrim County Council grappled with the aftermath, coordinating a sizable operation to support affected communities.

At a meeting of Leitrim County Council, CEO Joseph Gilhooly alongside senior management, provided a detailed breakdown of the response efforts and what unfolded in the crucial days and weeks after the storm, which put many lives in Leitrim on hold.

Like all local authorities, Leitrim County Council operated within the national major emergency framework, which involved three principal response agencies (PRA): An Garda Síochána, the HSE and the local authority.

These agencies collaborate at national, regional and local levels. The north west region includes Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal County Councils, along with regional managers from the HSE and the Gardaí.

Ahead of the storm, Leitrim County Council hosted a regional meeting of the PRAs to prepare for the impact. Regular update meetings continued over the following two weeks.

On the night before the storm, a number of senior staff stayed overnight in Carrick-on-Shannon to be in position, while Fire Service personnel were mobilised to their respective stations as a precaution. This allowed the Crisis Management Team to be activated before the red weather warning took effect.

The Crisis Management Team remained active over the weekend, responding to approximately 350 reported incidents with road crews and fire services before standing down.

An expanded Local Coordination Group was activated, which - along with the PRAs, included Uisce Éireann, ESB, and the Department of Social Protection.

By Sunday afternoon and Monday morning, the Council mobilised efforts to set up humanitarian hubs, following the Central Government’s directive on January 27.

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The Local Coordination Group supported the humanitarian response, which led to the establishment of 32 community hubs. 

Notably, Leitrim was the last county in Ireland to stand down its humanitarian hubs, closing them on February 10.

During this period, 1000 meal vouchers and 250 care packages were distributed and Council staff were reprioritised to continue adapting to manage the situation.

An emergency hotline was also set up, handling 500 calls.

1,100 trees across Leitrim were cut down and removed, and damages to the road network are estimated to be around €300,000.

Mr Gilhooly commended the Council and fire service staff, acknowledging the difficult personal decisions they made to stay in Carrick-on-Shannon on the night of the storm, away from their families.

Mary Quinn, Director of Services for Housing, Corporate Services, Community and Cultural Services remarked that the Council found itself “in territory which we hadn’t been in before.” She emphasised that further national-level work is needed to clarify the exact role of local authority versus other agencies in major storm events, and to define guidelines for future humanitarian assistance schemes.

The national emergency framework will be reviewed and updated later this year.

“There’s a lot of things to be talked about in terms of what worked and what didn’t work and ultimately what is the role of the local authority.

“Maybe we got some things wrong, and maybe we got some things right,” she said.

Councillors praised Council staff and senior management for their efforts following the storm, recognising both the commitment of the Council and Fire Service in responding as effectively as possible.

Ultimately, the Council must operate within the major emergency framework and does not have the authority to compel other agencies to engage in the response process or create and implement an action plan.

“This power rests with the central Government, most notably the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management."

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