The Joint City and County Co-ordination Group met this morning to discuss the latest precautionary measures to be implemented in advance of the arrival of Storm Lorenzo. Present at the meeting were members of Roads Department, Environment Department and other key staff from both Galway City Council and Galway County Council. Also present were members of the fire service, the Civil Defence and the HSE Ambulance Service. Topics covered at the meeting included an update on the current progress of Storm Lorenzo, as well as operations in relation to sandbags, car park closures and road closures.
It is important to note that Met Éireann has updated the Status Orange Wind Warning for Galway. The warning has now been extended to 6.00am Friday 4th October. There still remains a significant risk on coastal areas not just from over topping but also inundation i.e. high energy waves hitting the coastline.
The Defence Forces have turned 130 tonnes of sand provided by Galway City Council into 10,000 sandbags and are being deployed as part of a total of almost 20,000 sandbags from three locations in the city.
-Claddagh Hall
-The entrance to Mutton Island Treatment Centre
- The former Tourist Office adjacent to the Aquariam in Salthill
As was advised yesterday, road crews have begun to clear both Seapoint and Toft Park car parks. All vehicle owners are urged to move their vehicles. Parking should be avoided along the promenade.
Both Salthill Road and the Seapoint Promenade (from Grattan Road to Blackrock ) will be closed from 5.00pm Thursday for the duration of the warning. As a precaution Rosshill Road in the Roscam area will also be closed from 5pm due to the large numbers of trees in the area. Galway City Council Roads section will monitor the situation as we approach high tide, particlualrly in and around the Docks area. There may be further closures throughout the city as required - regular updates will be given. Motorists will experience delays as a result.
Leisureland in Salthill will close early Thursday evening at 6pm, and will re-open at a later time of 6.45am on Friday morning.
The following precautions which were advised yesterday evening remain in place:
Arrangements for Rough Sleepers: Galway City Council is working with emergency service providers to ensure that emergency accommodation is provided at locations including Fairgreen & Osterley Lodge. The COPE Galway Day Centre will remain open all day Thursday and operate throughout the night. Their contact number is 086 8355063
Customer Services: Galway City Council Customer Services phone lines will be operational throughout Thursday night to deal with emergency calls. (091 ) 536400
Galway City Council Crisis Management Team will continue to monitor Storm Lorenzo as it evolves and take all necessary precautions and provide further updates on its website www.galwaycity.ie and its social media platforms.