‘It's nuts. It should have been RED!’ Anger over Orange warning for Limerick

AS LIMERICK braces itself for a “vicious” cold snap with temperatures of  -8°C forecast following 14 inches of snow in places, major questions have been asked as to why a Status Red warning isn’t in place. 

Another Orange - low temperature / ice warning comes into effect this Wednesday at 6pm until Thursday at 11am. 

Thousands are facing into their fourth night this Wednesday without electricity for heat and light, water to make tea, to shower and flush toilets, and poor or no mobile phone coverage to communicate. 

Many elderly people in rural areas are snowed in, prisoners in their own homes. ESB isn’t due to be back in some cases until 9pm on Thursday. The ESB PowerWatch map shows faults stretching from Abbeyfeale to Galbally.

Road conditions have been atrocious despite the best efforts of council staff gritting and ploughing 24/7. 

Lorries jackknifed on the N20 and N21, cars ending up on their roof and motorists were trapped for hours in blizzard-like conditions. Over 30 cars were abandoned near Charleville by motorists stuck in traffic for hours due to collisions. A number of people checked into the Charleville Park Hotel.

The Irish Army has even been drafted in. One of their helicopters has been in the skies over Limerick, including the Kilmallock and Kilfinane area, to assist the ESB in locating power lines downed by the snow. Soldiers have been assisting in the transportation of essential healthcare workers and patients.

There were wartime scenes in Kilfinane on Monday with long queues formed outside the local Centra store to get provisions. Call-outs have been made on social media from concerned family members for those with tractors and jeeps to check in on loved ones. 

READ MORE: 'But for the Limerick farming community, there'd be people dead. All people want is a bloody update'

Deputy Richard O’Donoghue said: “If this isn't a red warning, I don’t know what is.” He said we haven't had snow like this since 1963, saying “Met Eireann has left Limerick down”.

“In 2010, we got three or four inches of snow. I'm 54 years of age and we've never got this fall of snow. If people knew that we were getting that heavy fall of snow, do you think we would be prepared? Yes, we would.

"If this was to happen in Dublin, would they have got a Status Red warning? It looks like that if you're outside of Dublin and are snowed in for days you don’t matter,” said Deputy O’Donoghue. The Independent Ireland TD said all the shop suppliers got caught because of the Orange warning which means trucks can travel. 

“A Red warning means that everyone is off the road so if a Red warning was given for Sunday they would have got everything out throughout Saturday. People would have worked through the night to get it done. Met Eireann have left Limerick down, they've left Kerry down, they've left parts of Cork down,” he said.

Mr O’Donoghue, in his trusty off-road jeep, rescued a man stuck in a car for three hours in Granagh, brought a heavily-pregnant woman from the Ballyhouras to the maternity and delivered blocks to a house in Bruree for people with special needs who had no heat.

He also collected bread and milk from a lorry that didn’t want to risk the back roads and helped Americans stuck in the snow in Granagh as they headed to Killarney. Sat navs bring people through Granagh to avoid Adare. Mr O’Donoghue praised the community spirit and everybody helping out.

READ MORE: Limerick farmer delivers gallons of water to neighbours for their cattle

Schools have closed, hospital procedures and appointments deferred, courts cancelled, post offices closed and deliveries curtailed. 

Mr O’Donoghue said: “It’s nuts” that there isn’t a Red warning.

A Met Eireann spokesperson, responding to a query from the Leader, said: “While overall the snowfall has been within the Orange warning category, as part of its warning procedure, Met Éireann does always communicate that there can be localised variations which can exceed thresholds and for this particular weather event, the risk was flagged particularly for higher ground.”