Opinion: The wind has died down but the hot air is swirling

The wind may have died down, but the hot air from politicians and utility companies still swirls. Over the past two weeks, many of us have struggled to come to terms with the storm’s aftermath, and for some, recovery has been painfully slow. For others, the suffering has been severe.

I count myself among the lucky ones. After five long days of waiting, we finally got our power back on Tuesday at 6 p.m. only for it to go again at 10 p.m. Thankfully, that outage lasted just twenty minutes, and by that time, the house had warmed up again. Having the oil-fired range on for four hours made a huge difference, heating all the radiators and restoring a sense of comfort—almost like a luxury, considering the circumstances. Yes, we had an open fire and a camping stove to keep us going, but some people didn’t even have that.

The water was also out, but thankfully it came back on Wednesday. I was at school when the messages started flooding in. Around 1 p.m., a neighbour sent a WhatsApp message with a picture of water flowing from his tap. A picture speaks a thousand words, they say, and that image felt like a small victory. The thought of a warm shower that evening was enough to lift my spirits.

But the storm’s aftermath has exposed some serious flaws in how we handle crises. I understand the lack of electricity was due to damaged wires, fallen trees, destroyed poles, and blown transformers. Fallen timber on power lines caused untold damage, and timber crews from all over Ireland and the UK were brought in to help. For the first time, timber harvesters were needed to clear paths for line crews. It’s ironic, considering the emphasis placed on trees in the fight against climate change.

This storm should push us to reconsider how we manage forestry. With Michael Healy-Rae now Minister for Forestry, it’s crucial his department sets up a dedicated branch to manage trees and power lines effectively. We need to ensure there are clear, tree-free routes for power lines. The talk of burying power lines underground is appealing, but it’s not clear whether that’s financially viable—perhaps it’s something to consider when the next economic boom arrives.

The water issue was just as alarming. Water treatment plants shutting down because of power outages is a scandal in this day and age. Uisce Éireann must put contingency plans in place. All plants should be wired for backup power and equipped with generators to keep them running during storms. Farmers, especially, were worried. Cattle need large amounts of water, and a two-litre bottle simply won’t do. Thankfully, the county council and fire brigade stepped in with water deliveries, but this was only a temporary fix to a much larger problem.

What was even more striking was the speed of the response. The storm primarily affected the West, North West, and Midlands, and it’s hard not to feel that the response would have been quicker and more coordinated if it had hit Dublin or the Pale. It’s no accident that there’s only one cabinet minister for the eight counties of Connacht and Ulster—we really are the weak link in the chain. The response here was slower, and while our population may be more dispersed, we are still customers paying for services, and we deserve better.

The sense of abandonment was palpable when the Taoiseach visited Castlerea to assess the damage. People were clear in telling him they felt left in the dark and out in the cold—and they were right. We were told to check websites for updates, but without power, mobile signal, or internet access, how could anyone do that? As Cllr Laurence Fallon put it, it felt like a trip back in time, having to travel to Athlone just to make a phone call. For me, it was Castlerea. In Elphin, the mart car park seemed to be the only place where people could connect with the outside world.

This storm has made it clear that we are not storm-ready as a nation. People are now realising the limitations of relying solely on electricity. There will likely be a greater demand for alternative heating options, and perhaps a reconsideration of the push for heat pumps. Generators—though expensive to buy and run—may become a necessary investment for many households. They should also be a priority for water treatment plants and mobile phone networks, which depend on electricity.

Looking to the future, we need a long-term plan. Trees along roads and power lines must be assessed, and any deemed a risk should be removed. A five-metre clearance zone on both sides of power lines would help prevent future damage. Additionally, we need to study the potential dangers of wind tunnels created by the removal of trees—these can have their own consequences.

The hard truth is that we are not prepared for future storms. The status quo is no longer acceptable. It’s time for serious, long-term action. Let’s hope this storm serves as a wake-up call we can’t afford to ignore.