Storm Barra - update 12.45pm
Kerry County Council and the Kerry Severe Weather Coordination Team are very strongly reminding members of the public to remain indoors and not to travel due to the extremely dangerous and hazardous conditions caused by Storm Barra.
The council is advising that wind speeds will increase significantly over the coming hours as the storm reaches its peak.
The Kerry Severe Weather Coordination Team – including Kerry County Council, the HSE, An Garda Síochána, Kerry Fire Service and Kerry Civil Defence – continues to coordinate the response to the storm and reminds everyone that a Status RED weather warning, the highest such warning, remains in place for Kerry.
There are a significant number of roads closed or blocked by fallen trees, fallen electricity poles and flooding. Council crews will only be able to respond to issues when it is safe to do so.
Members of the public should not, under any circumstances approach fallen trees or fallen power lines.
The council’s emergency contact number is 066 7183588 and it will be operational through this evening and tonight.
Fallen electricity wires/poles and power outages should be reported to ESB Networks on 1800 372 999.
The following is the current position in relation to the most significant flooding and road closures:
N71 road near the Suspension Bridge is flooded and impassable.
There is flooding on the N70 near the Ring of Kerry Gold Course and at Fossa.
The steel road work barriers on the Tralee Canal Road have broken free and have blown across the road there.
The road between Killarney and Molls Gap is closed.
Tralee Bay Wetlands is closed today; there’s no access to the site or centre.
Trees are down and blocking (or partially blocking) roads:
N70 Tralee to Castlemaine Road (near hairpin bends)
N70 Farmers Bridge road
N21 Near O’Riada’s Bar
N71 Port Road, Killarney
N71 Muckross Road, Killarney
N69 Cahirdown
R523 Athea road
N70 Carhan, Cahersiveen
Close to Clogher Graveyard making the road impassable
Electricity poles and lines are down in many parts of the county, particularly coastal areas.
