- Joined
- May 20, 2017
- Messages
- 1,407
- Reaction score
- 169
I haven't blown away!!
By golly, that was a storm, and no mistake! I can honestly say that I've never seen anything like it, because the last time anything approaching anything like as severe hit any part of Ireland, I was only a baby! It's over 50 years since anything that did similar damage, and that wasn't widespread.
I've never really thought of hurricanes (or even "ex" hurricanes.) as going on and on for hour after hour. Somehow, I always thought they just sort of blew through fairly quickly! But no. This was an all day event, even though the weather forecasters said it was "moving fairly rapidly". Sadly, the storm wasn't the only thing moving fairly rapidly. Trees, telephone & electricity poles and lines, fences, sheds and trampolines, tiles and in several instances, entire roofs (including the trusses and joists on a couple of buildings!!
) also moved rapidly, taking down everything in their path, knocking out power to over 360,000 homes and blocking hundreds of roads. All schools and colleges had been ordered to remain closed yesterday and today. Yesterday, most shops and businesses closed, and public transport was suspended. people were warned to remain indoors and only go out if it was absolutely necessary. Still, you got those few with no regard for either their own or Emergency Rescue Services' lives, who went went swimming (in the ocean!), wind surfing, etc. There are calls for them to be charged with Endangerment and/or billed with the cost of their rescue. Like, seriously! To put a four man helicopter crew in such danger, going up in those conditions to rescue you because you were dumb enough to go windsurfing in a hurricane?? Not to mention the coastguard and lifeboat crew who also had to turn out. :evil:
Anyway, I survived here very well. I only stuck my nose out to make sure the chickens were ok. I didn't let them out of their secure run yesterday, although I then worried all day about two huge evergreen trees which are beside the run! I was sure they were going to come down smashing the run, chicken house and chickens!! Thankfully, all that happened was that a huge branch broke off one of them, doing a little damage to the run roof, but falling sideways, missing the run, the henhouse, and only damaging part of a fence! This morning, I had to go with my big loppers and cut as much as I could off, so I could get in to let the hens out! Then a friend came with his chainsaw and cut up the branch into logs and stacked them for me. Free firewood! Yay! He also mended the fence. So all (except the roof) is good as new! The only other damage I had was that my small greenhouse, which is in the front of the garden, is, shall we say, "well ventilated"!! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: With my very small income, I have been just sick about how much my roof & chimney repairs cost me a couple of months ago. But, good grief, I shudder to think what I'd be facing if I hadn't got it done! The front of the house was taking the full force of the wind yesterday for several hours, and my modern, double glazed windows and front door were actually creaking under the onslaught! I was really afraid at one stage that the big window was going to give way! Thank God, I'm quite sheltered by trees and hedging, not just my own, but an evergreen hedge on the other side of the narrow country road that I live on.
I certainly hope I never experience anything like it again! Have to say though, that Govt. come in for a lot of stick, but they did do all they could with this. They had an Emergency Committee formed late last week, the Meteorologists were tracking the storm and keeping Govt and the public informed, Councils had sandbags etc. at the ready, people were advised to make sure they had supplies in so they wouldn't need to go out, to make sure they had candles, batteries, flashlights, etc. and they basically put the country on as much lockdown as possible, to minimise the danger to life.
After cutting my way in to the chickens and dealing with them this morning, I just had to clean my windows!! They were almost opaque with salt (I'm near the coast) and dust and bits of evergreen tree needles, and other dirt! Never saw anything like it! I had to give the car a quick wash off too, as it too was covered in salt, which wouldn't do it any good!
By golly, that was a storm, and no mistake! I can honestly say that I've never seen anything like it, because the last time anything approaching anything like as severe hit any part of Ireland, I was only a baby! It's over 50 years since anything that did similar damage, and that wasn't widespread.
I've never really thought of hurricanes (or even "ex" hurricanes.) as going on and on for hour after hour. Somehow, I always thought they just sort of blew through fairly quickly! But no. This was an all day event, even though the weather forecasters said it was "moving fairly rapidly". Sadly, the storm wasn't the only thing moving fairly rapidly. Trees, telephone & electricity poles and lines, fences, sheds and trampolines, tiles and in several instances, entire roofs (including the trusses and joists on a couple of buildings!!
) also moved rapidly, taking down everything in their path, knocking out power to over 360,000 homes and blocking hundreds of roads. All schools and colleges had been ordered to remain closed yesterday and today. Yesterday, most shops and businesses closed, and public transport was suspended. people were warned to remain indoors and only go out if it was absolutely necessary. Still, you got those few with no regard for either their own or Emergency Rescue Services' lives, who went went swimming (in the ocean!), wind surfing, etc. There are calls for them to be charged with Endangerment and/or billed with the cost of their rescue. Like, seriously! To put a four man helicopter crew in such danger, going up in those conditions to rescue you because you were dumb enough to go windsurfing in a hurricane?? Not to mention the coastguard and lifeboat crew who also had to turn out. :evil: Anyway, I survived here very well. I only stuck my nose out to make sure the chickens were ok. I didn't let them out of their secure run yesterday, although I then worried all day about two huge evergreen trees which are beside the run! I was sure they were going to come down smashing the run, chicken house and chickens!! Thankfully, all that happened was that a huge branch broke off one of them, doing a little damage to the run roof, but falling sideways, missing the run, the henhouse, and only damaging part of a fence! This morning, I had to go with my big loppers and cut as much as I could off, so I could get in to let the hens out! Then a friend came with his chainsaw and cut up the branch into logs and stacked them for me. Free firewood! Yay! He also mended the fence. So all (except the roof) is good as new! The only other damage I had was that my small greenhouse, which is in the front of the garden, is, shall we say, "well ventilated"!! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: With my very small income, I have been just sick about how much my roof & chimney repairs cost me a couple of months ago. But, good grief, I shudder to think what I'd be facing if I hadn't got it done! The front of the house was taking the full force of the wind yesterday for several hours, and my modern, double glazed windows and front door were actually creaking under the onslaught! I was really afraid at one stage that the big window was going to give way! Thank God, I'm quite sheltered by trees and hedging, not just my own, but an evergreen hedge on the other side of the narrow country road that I live on.
I certainly hope I never experience anything like it again! Have to say though, that Govt. come in for a lot of stick, but they did do all they could with this. They had an Emergency Committee formed late last week, the Meteorologists were tracking the storm and keeping Govt and the public informed, Councils had sandbags etc. at the ready, people were advised to make sure they had supplies in so they wouldn't need to go out, to make sure they had candles, batteries, flashlights, etc. and they basically put the country on as much lockdown as possible, to minimise the danger to life.
After cutting my way in to the chickens and dealing with them this morning, I just had to clean my windows!! They were almost opaque with salt (I'm near the coast) and dust and bits of evergreen tree needles, and other dirt! Never saw anything like it! I had to give the car a quick wash off too, as it too was covered in salt, which wouldn't do it any good!
