Dublin councils prepare for winter with plans to tackle severe weather

Dublin local authorities are preparing for winter with plans in place to combat floods, storms and cold snaps.

South Dublin County Council has a winter maintenance plan in place for its roads including salt gritting of primary and secondary routes during icy conditions. Additional salt storage bins are also being placed at “strategic local locations” where conditions have been icy in previous years but where “gritting is impractical”, the council said.

Regional mobilisation procedures and protocols are in place for weather emergencies including floods and severe weather to respond to “the varied challenges presented by an Irish winter”, the council said.

“Regular maintenance of the surface water network and gully clearing are part of day-to-day operations. However, upon receiving a status yellow warning for rainfall from Met Éireann, all screens at culverts across the county are cleared of any debris in order to prevent flooding from rivers and streams,” the council said.

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In the event of a status orange or higher weather warning, the severe weather assessment team, made up of senior operational personnel from across the organisation, “meets to assess preparedness for a given weather event and to agree appropriate actions”, the council said.

Fingal County Council said it increased provision for the clearing of gullies in this year’s budget to prevent flooding. “The council has during 2022 in all areas been working in advance on the clearing of leaves and debris from drains and the fixing of structural defects. An additional provision of €200,000 was provided for in 2023 for ongoing preventative maintenance and cleaning in advance of heavy rainfall and flooding.”

Fingal’s winter road-sweeping programme ensures leaves are swept regularly throughout the autumn/winter period to ensure gullies are kept clear, the council said. “Priority sweeping is given to heavily used public areas and estates are swept on a rota schedule with additional sweeping given to those areas which are problematic,” it said.

“In extreme weather circumstances in coastal or river areas at risk of flooding we can make provision of sand bags to householders.”

Dublin City Council’s winter maintenance plan sets out a “priority route system” for the spreading of salt on roads and streets in the city.

“Dublin City Council also has a flood emergency plan which co-ordinates and directs the city’s response to severe flooding,” it said. “Both these plans sit below Dublin City Councils Severe Weather Plan which outlines the arrangements by Dublin City Council in response to serious weather events.”

Separate to these, the council manages and maintains the drainage network and river maintenance on a continual basis, including regular and targeted gully cleaning “as well as the provision of a 24/7 after hours service”.

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council said it has a “suite of emergency plans”. This includes a large emergency plan underpinned by a flood emergency plan, it said.

“We also have a cross-departmental Severe Weather Assessment Team that operates in line with a Severe Weather Plan.”