Louth County Council teams remove fallen trees in the wake of Storm Agnes

Storm Agnes the first named storm of the autumn battered the county on Wednesday with Louth coming under a yellow wind warning.

In Dundalk, overnight high winds led to a tree down within the grounds of Ice House Hill park, and another along the R173 Dundalk- Carlingford road.

Outdoor crews from Louth County Council responded to incidents across the county, cutting and removing fallen trees to make roads passable and footpaths safe. 

In preparation for the storm the council launched a dedicated response which saw a meeting of the council’s Severe Weather Assessment Team (SWAT) was convened on Tuesday to ensure all sections of the local authority were prepared for potential storm impacts.

Louth County Council continued to monitor weather warnings, attending virtual Met Éireann briefings, in the hours before the storm made landfall. 

A status ‘Yellow’ wind warning was issued for Louth, and a series of public safety messages were issued via  @louthcoco social media, warning of the potential risks of high winds. 

In a statement the council said:

"Louth County Council retain hundreds of sandbags prefilled in six depots across Louth, which are ready to be deployed at any time in known flooded areas.  

"Ahead of Storm Agnes, with a predicted low probability for flooding there were up to 100 bags left for use by owners of flood prone properties, in a number of areas including Blackrock, The Quays, and Ship Street, Drogheda. 

"The flood barriers in Blackrock were erected in advance of coastal winds and any associated surge coupled with the high astronomical tide (HAT).

"Out of Hours teams were deployed as storm conditions continued into Wednesday evening, and tress were reported down across the greater Drogheda area, and mid Louth, including Ballymakenny Road,  Monasterboice, College Rise,  Wheaton Hall, Newtown Blues, Termonfeckin Road, and also in Collon, in the vicinity of the Pitch & Putt course and along the Kells Road.

Louth County Council are warning of very high tides forecast for Saturday 30th September in Drogheda, with the potential for flooding in the Wellington Quay area around 11.30pm.