Picture: Noel Browne
Management at Waterford Council have described Storm Emma as being one of the most disruptive weather events to hit the county in recent memory.
Councillors were given a briefing of the preparations made in advance of last weekend's snowstorms at the most recent plenary meeting.
Outdoor staff began a gritting programme on Tuesday the 27th of February and road crews remained in operation from Thursday March 1st to Sunday March 4th to ensure that main roadways remained passable.
Repair efforts are set to continue, as it's anticipated that the cold snap will have caused significant damage to road surfaces.
Director of Service, Fergus Galvin told Councillors that their staff were put to the test. He described it as "probably the most severe and widely disruptive weather events that we've had in this City and County for as long as I can remember and I've worked for this council for almost 30 years now. It provided a serious, serious test of the council's resilience and our ability to cope with events like this, but one that I'm quite happy to say that we came through."
Fergus Galvin praised the efforts of council staff: "I have been very privileged and proud over the last week or so to work with some very fine people who came out in all weathers who provided an excellent public service to the council. He singled out the drivers and operators "who were out in what were some of the most extreme and challenging conditions they have every had to deal with." He also thanked the coastguard, civil defence, local farming community and local contractors who all came in to clear local roads and "who didn't hesitate to help us at very, very short notice."
