Storm Éowyn: Red weather warning to severely impact Derry council services

As Storm Éowyn is expected to bring very strong winds and widespread disruption to the North West on Friday, Derry City and Strabane District Council is advising the public to take all the necessary precautions to keep themselves and their property safe and has advised that the weather warning will severely impact all of its services on Friday.

In the interests of health and safety, all Council buildings will be closed, and Council services will not be in operation tomorrow, as we need to prioritise the health and safety of staff and the public.

The Met Office is advising that strong winds associated with the Red Warning has the potential to cause very dangerous conditions with widespread disruption and significant impacts expected.

Council facilities

The civic offices at Strand Road, Derry and Derry Road, Strabane, will both be closed on Friday.

The Guildhall, Tower Museum and Alley Theatre will be closed and any events planned at these venues have been either cancelled or postponed. 

Mayoral engagements

All Mayoral engagements are cancelled on Friday.

Refuse Collections

Refuse Collections will be suspended on Friday. The public are asked not to leave out their bins and to ensure they are stored in a safe place during the storm. It is hoped that some level of service will be reinstated on Saturday, but that is dependent on what impact the storm has on roads and facilities. Bins that are missed will be collected when it is safe to do so. Further updates will be provided as soon as possible.

Street cleansing

Our street cleansing teams will not be servicing the city and towns on Friday and will resume their services when it is safe to do so.

Cemeteries

All of our Cemeteries will be closed to the public and for burials on Friday.  The Cemeteries will only reopen once they are inspected and deemed safe to do so.

Recycling Centres      

All our recycling centres will be closed on Friday as a result of the weather warning. They will reopen following a health and safety inspection by staff and when it’s deemed safe to do so. The public are urged to be patient and to understand that the health and safety of staff and the public is paramount.

Leisure Centres

All Council Leisure Centres will be closed in the interest of the health and safety of staff and users. It is hoped they will reopen once it is deemed safe to do so.

Grass pitches

All Council grass pitches will be closed. User groups are being contacted directly. In terms of our outdoor sports facilities and courts these will be closed and only open following an inspection. User groups will be contacted directly.

3G Pitches

3G Pitches will be closed and will reopen only following pitch inspections.

Parks and play parks

In the interests of health and safety all Council owned Parks, Greenways and Play parks will be closed. The public are advised to stay away from open spaces and green areas where there are trees and to take due care and attention when the storm subsides in case there is debris or fallen branches etc.

Our teams will only reopen these facilities when it is safe to do so, following health and safety inspections to ensure they are safe to do use. Again, the public are asked to be patient and expect some delays to opening of facilities after the storm to allow these checks and possible clean-up work to be carried out.

Council Car Parks

Council owned car parks that have barriers - such as William Street in Derry and Canal Basin in Strabane – will close this evening Thursday and remain closed all day tomorrow Friday, with a delayed opening on Saturday until deemed safe to do so. 

Public Toilets

All Council public conveniences will be closed on Friday.

Council dog kennels

Council owned dog kennels will be closed on Friday.

Community facilities

The majority of community centres across the District will close, we are advising users to contact their community centre directly or check on their Facebook pages for updates. For any centres that are open, users are advised to access them with extreme care and to take on board advice being communicated by the Met office.

City of Derry Airport

Those using the City of Derry Airport are advised to follow the advice on travel and to check with the airport and their airlines before they travel.  The live website link is at - https://www.cityofderryairport.com/flight-information/live-flight-information/

Recovery

Routine health and safety inspections will be carried out on all Council facilities as soon as possible following the storm and prior to them reopening. The public are asked to be patient as it may take time for them to open, and they will only be opened when deemed safe to do so.

Householders and businesses across the Council area are also encouraged to take the necessary measures to keep them and their property safe and to take note of the weather warnings and advice issued around unnecessary travel. The public should also be wary of possible fallen trees and power lines, destruction to property, flying debris and road blockages in the aftermath of the storm.

The Met Office is warning that the very strong winds associated with the Storm has the potential to cause very dangerous conditions with widespread disruption and significant impacts expected.

What to expect

• Flying debris resulting in danger to life
• Large waves and beach material being thrown onto coastal roads, sea fronts and homes
• Very dangerous driving conditions with fallen trees on roads
• Power cuts affecting other services, such as mobile phone coverage
• Damage to buildings and homes, with roofs blown off and power lines brought down
• Roads, bridges and railway lines closed, with delays and cancellations to bus, train, ferry services and flights

What should I do?

• Keep yourself and others safe; avoid travelling by road during potentially dangerous conditions.
• It is not safe to drive in these conditions.
• Don't risk injury to others or damage to your property.
• If you can do so safely, check for loose items outside your home and secure them. Items include; bins, garden furniture, trampolines, tents, sheds, and fences.
• Being outside in high winds makes you vulnerable to injury. Stay indoors if you can.
• People cope better with power cuts when they have prepared for them in advance. It’s easy to do; consider gathering torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items.
• If you live or work on the coast, beware of large waves, even from the shore large breaking waves can sweep you off your feet and out to sea. In an emergency, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
• Stay up to date with the weather forecast for your area and follow advice from emergency services and local authorities.
• Further updates - Click on - UK weather warnings - Met Office

Emergency Contact numbers:

Emergency services 999 or 112

Flooding Incident Line  - 0300 2000 100

NI Electricity Networks – 03457 643 643

NI Gas Emergency Service – 0800 002 001

NI Water – 03457 440 088

Housing Executive – 03448 920 901

Report a blocked road – 0300 200 7891

For further advice see:

• https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/campaigns/be-ready-for-emergencies
• http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/guide/weather/warnings
• https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/services/government/environmental-hazard-resilience/community-resilience
• https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/articles/dfi-rivers-water-level-network
• https://twitter.com/nidirect
• Report a road drainage fault (https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/services/report-road-drainage-fault);