OPINION: Ireland needs to storm-proof its future to prepare for future storms

Recent storms like Éowyn, with its record-breaking winds and wide-scale damage, have shown us that Ireland is not yet fully prepared for the escalating threat of extreme weather due to climate change.

While the government has made important moves toward climate resilience, it's time to shift from reactive crisis management to proactive planning — with real investment, local engagement, and long-term strategies.

After storm Éowyn, many communities and councils around Ireland stressed that the government needs to be more prepared for future storms. Storm Éowyn knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of homes and cut off the water supply in communities.

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With experts saying that storms will become more common every year and more volatile, it’s important that we put in place preventative measures to protect homes, powerlines and water supplies but also provide emergency supplies for those stuck without either.

The government is doing some things to plan ahead and provide emergency essentials to communities who need them when they see another storm.

The government is developing emergency response hubs, which are community spaces pre-stocked with generators, water, phone-charging stations, and other essentials.

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People are calling for more to be done for particularly vulnerable rural communities. As we have seen in the past, these communities often suffer the worst during storms.

The climate council of Ireland says the government must commit stable, multi-year funding for climate resilience, especially for local authorities. Making climate-action teams permanent in every council should be a minimum, they warn.