logo
Ireland's west coast had 'near miss' from devastating floods during Storm Éowyn, scientists found

Ireland's west coast had 'near miss' from devastating floods during Storm Éowyn, scientists found

Irish Examiner22-04-2025

Parts of Ireland's west coast had an 'unfathomable near miss' when Storm Éowyn hit in January, as tens of thousands narrowly avoided devastating flooding, new research has found.
Furthermore, climate change will likely bring 'devastating floods' into the future as such events become more frequent.
A team at the University of Galway said the storm generated the highest storm surges ever recorded at key locations on the western seaboard.
If it had struck even a week earlier during the high water spring tide, water levels would have been far higher in places like Galway Port, Limerick Dock and Shannon Airport.
'In spite of how devastating Storm Éowyn was, in an odd way, we were incredibly lucky,' said University of Galway's Dr Niall Madden.
'The worst of the storm surge coincided with a low and ebbing tide. Had it hit just a few hours earlier, on a full or flooding tide, Galway could have been dealing with a double disaster of record high winds and record high flooding.'
In late January, Storm Éowyn brought widespread disruption to Ireland. Met Éireann issued red alert warnings across much of the country, with fallen power lines and fallen trees a particular widespread hazard.
In its wake, it left hundreds of thousands of people without power and water, with some households left without electricity for weeks.
The team at Galway's School of Engineering analysed the sea level information from 47 separate datasets.
They found Storm Éowyn to have brought 'unprecedented power' as it surged, more than 2.5m above the normal predicted tidal water level.
It also saw record breaking winds with a gust of 184km/h recorded, along with the highest 10-minute wind speed reaching 142km/h at Mace Head Atmospheric Research Station in Galway.
However, despite its severity in other ways, the timing of the tides during the storm meant there were little to no flooding impacts.
The research team highlighted data from three coastal locations to show how the impact could have been much worse.
At Galway Port, the storm surge peaked at 2.60m above the normal predicted tide, the highest ever recorded since the station started operating in 2007. In Limerick, the highest surge along the western coastline was recorded at almost 3m above tidal level.
And, at Shannon Airport, the tidal gauge saw a surge of 2.70m.
If these surges had occurred a week earlier, these areas could have faced severe flooding due to the high tides, the researchers said.
Dr Indiana Olbert, from University of Galway's School of Engineering, said climate change would drive even more extreme rainfall and generate more intense flooding going forward.
'The data we have recovered from the hours around Storm Éowyn shows just how narrowly tens of thousands of people avoided tidal inundation and threats to cities, towns and coastal communities," she said.
"It is hard to imagine how narrowly we avoided unprecedented storm surge flooding and an inundation, in particular in towns and cities.'
Read More
Earth Day: TDs and senators urged to scrutinise climate policies

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Ireland makes waves on a global scale as seven-storey swell recorded off coast of Cork
Ireland makes waves on a global scale as seven-storey swell recorded off coast of Cork

Irish Independent

time3 days ago

  • Irish Independent

Ireland makes waves on a global scale as seven-storey swell recorded off coast of Cork

Data released by the Marine ­Institute shows the 21.9-metre wave was captured by the M3 weather buoy, 56km south-west of Mizen Head at 10am on January 27, making it one of the largest waves ever logged in Irish waters. 'That wave was recorded during Storm Éowyn as it passed over Ireland. The M3 buoy is located approximately 55km offshore west-southwest of ­Mizen Head, Co Cork, the southernmost point of Ireland,' said Alan Berry, research infrastructure manager at the Marine Institute. But the towering swell off the Cork coast pales beside two freak waves that breached the 30-metre mark over the past decade. A record-breaking rogue wave measuring 32.3m was recorded five years ago, nearly 400km off the Galway coast by the M6 buoy stationed in the deep Atlantic, according to the Marine Institute. It remains the largest confirmed wave ever measured in Irish waters, although an unverified larger swell was logged 11 years ago. 'Analysis of raw data from a wave rider buoy operated by ESB at Killard, Co Clare, suggested that a 33.96m wave was recorded on January 26, 2014,' Mr Berry said. 'The accuracy of that observation has never been verified and should be treated with caution due to the depth of water [39m] and the stated operating range of the wave monitoring buoy. 'A number of verified rogue waves were recorded by the buoy in the following two days, including the 'Killard Wave' measuring 26.45m and a number of other waves in excess of 20m. 'But, to the best of our knowledge, the 32.3m wave recorded at the M6 buoy in 2020 is the largest recorded wave ever in Irish waters.' Ireland's exposed position on the storm-tossed track of North Atlantic low-pressure systems gives rise to some of the most colossal seas on the planet Closer to land, a 30.96m wave was measured by a weather buoy 10 miles off the coast of Belmullet in the westerly tip of Mayo just after midnight on March 2, 2016. The same buoy recorded a 26.35m rogue wave the following night at 3am. Mr Berry said the Belmullet coast ­experiences some of Ireland's tallest waves because it lies close to the edge of the continental shelf, where the relatively shallow coastal waters — around 250 metres deep — drop sharply into the deep ocean, which plunges to about 3,000 metres. Ireland's exposed position on the storm-tossed track of North Atlantic low-pressure systems gives rise to some of the most colossal seas on the planet. Rogue waves — steep, solitary swells that rise at least twice as high as the surrounding sea — were once thought to be maritime myth, but are now well-documented. According to researchers, between one in every 10,000 and one in every 30,000 waves fall into this rare category. The data from the Marine Institute also showed these waves aren't confined to the open Atlantic, with giant waves occurring in sheltered waters, including off the Connemara coast this winter. 'The largest wave ever recorded in Galway Bay occurred during Storm Éowyn, measuring 10.1m in a depth of water of 25m just off the coast of Spiddal village,' Mr Berry said. The Marine Institute's real-time monitoring network provides insight into how often — and how close to shore — these extreme waves can appear. Ireland's Atlantic-facing coastline places it at the front line of North ­Atlantic swell systems, making it one of Europe's most wave-battered regions.

Over 3,000 applications made from County Sligo to humanitarian fund in the wake of Storm Éowyn
Over 3,000 applications made from County Sligo to humanitarian fund in the wake of Storm Éowyn

Irish Independent

time4 days ago

  • Irish Independent

Over 3,000 applications made from County Sligo to humanitarian fund in the wake of Storm Éowyn

Sligo Champion There were 3,510 claims under a humanitarian assistance scheme from County Sligo as a result of Storm Éowyn which struck the country last January. In new figures provided by the Department of Social Protection to TG4, there was 93,007 applications registered in respect of 75,733 people totalling almost €12.8 million for the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme that was opened in the aftermath of the storm. County Galway had the highest amount of applications with 30,592, County Mayo had the second highest with 17,303, and County Roscommon had the third highest with 8,702 applications. Sligo has 3,510 applications and Leitrim 4,387.

Over 17,000 compensation claims lodged in Mayo after Storm Éowyn
Over 17,000 compensation claims lodged in Mayo after Storm Éowyn

Irish Independent

time6 days ago

  • Irish Independent

Over 17,000 compensation claims lodged in Mayo after Storm Éowyn

According to figures provided by the Department of Social Protection to TG4's 7LÁ, 17,303 claims were lodged from County Mayo. The county was second only to Galway, which recorded 30,592 claims. Other counties along the western seaboard, such as Donegal (1,696), Sligo (3,510), Roscommon (8,702) and Clare (3,826), accounted for a large amount of claims. Waterford had the lowest number of applications to the scheme of 26 counties with just 12 applications. The scheme opened following Storm Éowyn, which wreaked unprecedented damage when it struck the country on January 24. In total, 52,630 payments totalling €12,876,451 has been paid to support 50,967 households. The three-stage scheme covers the additional cost of feeding families in the immediate aftermath of the storm where people remained without power and/or water. Payments were also made to people to meet the cost of alternative accommodation. A significant amount of the money paid out under the scheme was in respect of accommodation costs. Currently there are 22,149 applicants whose claims have been decided and have not been awarded a payment under the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme. Applicants have 21 days to request a review of their decision.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store