Around 500 customers in West Clare will be without power for a time this afternoon, as repair works are carried out in the wake of Storm Eleanor.
The clean up operation is well underway in the county, which escaped the brunt of the storm.
However, the threat of coastal flooding remains, as Clare FM’s Fiona McGarry reports:
Storm Eleanor has all but passed and Clare has escaped the worst of the damage.
There’s no reports of any major flooding like that seen in neighbouring Galway, but there are trees down in parts, blockages on some coastal routes and the clean-up operation is well underway.
The Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre has been closed due to the continuing danger posed by the high winds, but Shannon Aiport hasn’t been affected and is operating as normal.
A lightening strike left hundreds of homes in the Cratloe, Barefield, Corofin, Ennis, Broadford, Spanish Point and Miltown Malbay areas without power overnight and all but 88 have had power restored.
ESB Crews have been out since first thing and are hoping to have the remainder back online by two o’clock this afternoon.
But power to 500 properties in the Miltown Malbay and Spanish Point areas are being switched off for a time this afternoon to facilitate works as ESB Clare Area manager Robert Grimes explains:
An orange weather alert remains in place for the coming hour, and further bad weather is forecast for tonight and tomorrow night which could cause flooding.
Senior Engineer with Clare County Council, Tom Tiernan says we’re not out of the woods just yet:
The National Emergency Coordination Group has been meeting this morning, to discuss the national response to the storm.
Its chair, Sean Hogan is warning that further coastal flooding could occur in the South and West.
Meanwhile, a massive clean-up is underway in Galway this afternoon after flooding caused by Storm Eleanor devastated homes and businesses in the city.
The city was the worst affected area – from there, Richard Chambers has sent this report:
