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THE Kerry Local Coordination Group met again this afternoon to review preparations for the severe weather forecast for Kerry over the next two days.
A Status Red weather warning for Kerry is effective for the period from 4pm on Thursday to 12 noon on Friday.
The group has stated that this is a significant emergency situation and that all advice from public agencies should be carefully heeded by all members of the public.
Met Éireann is forecasting that blizzard-like conditions will develop with heavy snow and strong easterly winds on Thursday evening and will continue Thursday night and Friday morning giving significant snow drifts and very poor visibility in many areas.
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The Group issues the following notifications and advice:
Travel and roads
• The public should heed the public safety advice of government to be at home by 4pm on Thursday and to remain at home for the duration of the weather alert
• The Local Coordination Group advises that all road travel during the period the weather warning is in place should be avoided as snowfall and blizzard conditions will make travel extremely hazardous
Emergency contact
An emergency contact number has been set up to deal with emergencies and can be contacted at all times on 066 718 3588. Water related issues should be reported to Irish Water on 1850 278 278.
Office closures
All Kerry County Council offices, facilities, and amenities will be closed to the public from 1pm on Thursday, 1st March and on Friday, 2nd March but the emergency contact phone number will be manned at all times on a 24 hour basis.
Updates and social media
The Local Coordination Group and Kerry County Council will issue updates through:
• All local media
• Social media channels – @countkerry on Twitter and on the Council’s Facebook page
• A dedicated Alerts site is accessible through the Council’s website homepage and includes all updates on road conditions and other issues. See http://alerts.kerrycoco.ie/wordpress/
