Storm #Ophelia recovery will be slower in rural areas
A shortage of available electricity generators for dairy farms in the vast swathes of countryside left without power has slowed rural recovery after storm Ophelia, writes Stephen Cadogan.
The country’s biggest milk processor, Glanbia Ireland, appealed for farmers to urgently make generators available to the worst affected regions of Cos Waterford, Kilkenny, Cork and Tipperary.
IFA National Dairy Chairman Sean O’Leary welcomed some co-ops, including Glanbia, making teams of electricians available, and facilitating sharing of generators by farmers. He invited farmers with continuing difficulties to contact their IFA leaders.
On Tuesday afternoon, the number of seriously affected Glanbia dairy farms was estimated at about 500, with herds urgently requiring milking but the farms were without power, and looking for generators for milking and for cooling milk.
Generators from one farm were used to milk cows on at least five farms this week in Co Cork, where the highest Ophelia wind gusts were recorded, and hundreds of trees brought down power lines. Met Eireann recorded Ophelia gusts in Co Cork of 191 km/h at Fastnet Lighthouse, 156 at Roches Point, and 141 at the Kinsale Head gas platform.
ESB Networks crews have been working through thousands of faults caused by the storm. At the height of the storm, they registered 365,000 faults, and had restored power to more than 50% of customers by Wednesday, when about 120,000 customers still remained without power. Some homes and businesses were expected to be without power until the weekend.
ESB Networks said they had a staff of 2,500 on the ground, supported by about 1,000 contractors, and by crews from Northern Ireland, with further support due from Scotland, England and Wales.
On Monday, the storm closed down much of the activities at all of the dairy co-ops. Since then, Glanbia Ireland collected milk as frequently as possible where access was safe. But in some of the worst affected areas, fallen trees with attached power cables prevented early access.
Help from neighbours helped many farmers and rural dwellers get through the storm difficulties.
According to Glanbia Ireland sources, many farmers have been assisting their neighbours with water supplies.
Nationally, about 30,000 people were without water supplies Wednesday, mostly due to power outages hitting water treatment plants, and no power for private well pumps.
Glanbia Ireland suggested once a day milking as a short term solution on some farms where milking was possible, but there was insufficient capacity for cooling.
For any animal welfare issues due to severe weather, the Department of Agriculture advised farmers to keep in touch with Teagasc advisers or contact the Department’s Animal Welfare Helpline 90761-064408, 01-6072379).
As the recovery and damage assessment continues, forests will be inspected to see how much windblow damage occurred.
Teagasc forestry advisers advised tree growers not to rush into decisions on how to deal with windblow, but to make a step-by-step plan to minimise risk and maximise the salvage value of plantations.
With Eir estimating that about 150,000 customers were left without broadband, telephone and mobile services due to Ophelia (worst in Co Cork, the southwest and midlands), rural dwellers’ troubles were compounded by communication difficulties.
