Storm Amy Leaves Northern Ireland Reeling with Power Outages and Disruptions

Storm Amy unleashed its fury across Northern Ireland over the weekend, leaving a trail of destruction and widespread power outages in its wake.

 

The storm, which prompted the Met Office to issue a yellow weather warning for strong winds from 2 pm on Friday to midnight on Saturday, caused significant disruptions, including fallen trees and prolonged power cuts affecting thousands of residents.

 

At its peak, approximately 65,000 customers across Northern Ireland were left without electricity.

 

Among those affected was Jimmy O’Reilly, 85, from Drumaness, who endured the weekend without power.

 

He shared his experience, stating, "We have been shivering with cold and layering up with our clothes.

 

It’s such an inconvenience and it worries you that this would keep happening every time there’s a storm."

 

Despite the hardships, he praised the "amazing" efforts of NIE workers who assisted rural areas and installed a generator for him.

 

The storm's impact was felt across various regions.

 

The Church Road in Ballynahinch was blocked by a fallen tree on Friday, as was the Old Park Road near Loughinisland.

 

Additionally, Newry, Mourne, and Down Council services faced disruptions over the weekend.

 

Household recycling centres closed from 1 pm on Friday and remained shut on Saturday.

 

Castlewellan Forest Park, Delamont Country Park, council play parks, and open spaces were closed to both cars and pedestrians due to risks from falling branches and debris.

 

Newcastle harbour gates were also closed on Friday and Saturday, restricting access for pedestrians and vehicles.

 

In response to the adverse weather, the council opened a community assistance centre at Down Leisure Centre on Saturday afternoon to support residents without power.

 

A member of NIE Networks staff was present to offer support and address any queries.

 

NIE Networks expressed hope to restore power to the majority of properties by Sunday morning but cautioned that some areas might remain without electricity until Monday evening.

 

South Down MLA Colin McGrath reached out to NIE Networks, demanding answers over repeated power cuts in the Lecale area, which left residents without electricity for days.

 

He emphasized, "Residents understand that bad weather can cause disruption, but the regularity and duration of these outages suggest a deeper problem with the network.

 

People deserve a reliable electricity supply and clear information when power is lost."

 

As of Sunday morning, around 3,000 properties in Northern Ireland remained without power.

 

NIE Networks teams worked diligently to restore supply, aiming to reconnect the vast majority of these properties by the end of the day.

 

Operations Manager Alex Houston stated, "We are doing our very best to get as many as possible reconnected today."

 

Storm Amy's impact was not limited to Northern Ireland.

 

In the Republic of Ireland, over 200,000 properties were left without power, and a man tragically lost his life in a weather-related incident in Letterkenny.

 

Scotland also faced severe conditions, with a powerful gust of 96 mph recorded, leading to widespread ferry service suspensions and disruptions to road and rail travel due to fallen trees.

 

As communities begin the recovery process, the resilience and support among residents and emergency services shine through, highlighting the collective effort to restore normalcy in the aftermath of Storm Amy.