Thursday 17 February 2022
 Storm Eunice: ‘extremely strong winds’ to peak on Friday and continue over weekend
Widespread disruption is likely across Devon tomorrow (Friday 18 February) as the south west is expected to be battered by gale force winds caused by Storm Eunice.
Peak 'Red Warning' winds of up to 80 miles per hour inland and 90 miles per hour in coastal areas are likely from 7.00am – 12.00 noon, while an Amber Alert is currently in place until 6.00pm on Saturday, with strong winds set to last over the weekend.
In preparation, we've drafted in extra staff to our Network Operations Control Centre and extra highways teams will be ready to respond. Teams of tree-surgeons will also be on stand-by to clear any fallen trees on the county’s roads.
The Met Office website has some useful information about what you can do to prepare for the storm, stay safe and protect your property.
 Stay safe and only travel if absolutely necessary
We're advising people to only go out during Storm Eunice if absolutely necessary as there's a high chance that conditions will be quite unsafe, so please delay your journey if you can.
If you do absolutely have to travel, slow down, allow extra time and drive according to the conditions.
Such strong winds may well lead to fallen trees or branches and other debris on the roads, so be alert, particularly on minor roads where they may not have been reported.
Avoid overnight travel as roads will always be more hazardous at night with poorer visibility so it's harder to see debris.
Remember, never drive through floodwater or swollen flowing water, you don’t know how deep it is. Find a safe, alternative route.
Extremely strong winds, large waves and high tides means there’s a severe threat of flooding along our coastline, so please stay away as beach debris is likely to be thrown onto seafronts, coastal roads and properties.
In the event of flooding, you can speak to a trained operator 24 hours a day seven days a week via Floodline on 0345 988 1188. They can offer you immediate advice on flood risk, and what to do before, during and after a flood.
Damage to buildings and homes is likely, with roofs blown off and power lines brought down. Roads, bridges and railway lines are likely to close, with delays and cancellations to bus, train, ferry services and flights.
In the event of a power cut, please call 105. Western Power has some useful information on their website, including what you can take to keep yourself safe until the problem is fixed.
The high winds are likely to result in the temporary closure of Taw Bridge, Barnstaple. Other bridges may also be affected. Wind speeds are being constantly monitored, so please check before you travel. If you must travel during a bridge closure please plan your journey, find a safer alternative route, and leave extra time.
Follow our highways team on Twitter @DevonAlert for the latest updates on Devon's roads.
 Disruption to other services likely
Some schools may choose not to open tomorrow, and we are supporting any school that decides it needs to close to keep pupils and staff safe. A list of school closures can be found on our website, so please check if your school is open before you set off in the morning.
Our school transport service will continue to operating if it is safe to do so, but please visit our school transport route closure website to check if routes have been closed due to safety concerns.
If students use public transport to get to school we recommend that they check with the operator to find out if services will be disrupted.
All of Devon’s recycling centres will be closed tomorrow as it is not safe for them to operate during extremely strong winds.
It's also not safe for our public health community outreach team to be out and about during the storm so there will be no vans offering COVID-19 testing or vaccinations tomorrow. Some community pop-up clinics are also likely to be cancelled, so please check the NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) social media for updates.
Libraries Unlimited has announced that their mobile libraries will be off the road tomorrow. Please check with your local library for any further updates or disturbances to services.
Keeping you up to date
We will keep you up to date with the latest information during Storm Eunice via our social media channels:
Here are some useful links:
|
