Council's Community Response Forum activated to provide assistance to worst affected areas of county after Storm Éowyn

Published: Tue 28 Jan 2025, 12:41 AM

Meath County Council's Community Response Forum has been activated to manage the humanitarian response to the aftermath of Storm Éowyn as some badly affected areas of the county are still without water and power.

A number of Community Hubs have been set up across the county to assist people with basic needs such as water, hot food, phone charging, broadband access, shower and clothes washing facilities etc.

These hubs were established after the Community Response Forum, chaired by Meath County Council Chief Executive Kieran Kehoe, convened on Monday morning discussing the ongoing effects of Storm Éowyn and identifying what could be done to further assist people in difficulty.

If you need assistance, please contact Meath County Council Customer Service between 8am and 8pm. Alternatively, you can email customerservice@meathcoco.ie.

Meath County Council is also aware that some people do not currently have Wi-Fi or mobile data so we are asking communities to please check in locally on vulnerable people and make them aware of these hubs and to contact us if they need anything.

Speaking about the Community Hubs, Meath County Council Chief Executive Kieran Kehoe said: "Aside from the fantastic ongoing work of our crews on the roads in the most difficult of conditions, we are also aware that there are still people in the county that have no power, no water, no heating, no communication systems, so we are setting up these Community Hubs in key locations to help as many people as we can.

"The critical thing now is getting help to these people, particularly any vulnerable people, and these hubs will be in operation as long as they are needed."

Since Storm Éowyn made landfall in the county on Friday morning causing widespread damage, over 360 calls have been logged through Meath County Council's Customer Service portal.

Meath County Council crews have been working since it was made safe to do so on Friday afternoon and, in extremely difficult conditions including freezing temperatures and a Status Yellow Wind warning, most of these cases have now been resolved. Assistance was also provided by Meath County Council Fire and Rescue Service and the Civil Defence.

The Meath County Council Local Coordination Group (LCG) convened regularly on Friday and Saturday to evaluate the impact of Storm Éowyn. As the lead response agency for severe weather events, Meath County Council Chief Executive Kieran Kehoe chaired the group with representatives from An Garda Síochána and the HSE along with representatives from the Meath County Council Roads/Transportation, Fire Services, Housing, Water, Customer Services and Communications.

Community Hub Locations:

• Athboy Community Centre - C15 P280

• Ballivor GFC - A82 NP96

• Ballinlough GFC - A82 VW27

• Bohermeen Community Centre - C15 XW97

• Carnaross GFC - A82 DW01

• Cortown GFC - A82 NP96

• Kilmessan - Costello's Centra - C15 V2RR

• Kells Family Resource Centre - A82 Y308

• Mullagh - Kilian's Lodge Hotel - A82 C9R6

• Nobber GFC - A82 FE08

• Skryne GFC - C15 WY90