waterdisaster

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="04b785a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Councillor Keith Martin </B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Councillor Keith Martin "><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="news21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="News"><U><I><B><U>Back to news page</U></B></I></U></A></div> <bR> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <IMG SRC="08d89bd0.jpg" border=0 width="137" height="189" ALT="Large photo Councillor Keith Martin" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>Source: Westport Historical Society Journal, Cathair Na Mart No.13 1993 pg. 135. </I></div> <div> <I>Article: “Tidal Wave at Westport Quay” by Michael J Lyons edited by Eleanor Fairburn</I></div> <div> <B>WATER DISASTER DRILL NEEDED</B> </div> <div> Given the number of the low-lying settlements along the Mayo coast a Westport Councillor has called on Mayo County Council to run an emergency drill to prepare in case Mayo is ever subject to a Tsunami strike.</div> <div> Cllr Keith Martin has written to Mayo County Council to request that an emergency drill be carried out to prepare the county’s emergency services for such an event. </div> <div> According to Cllr Martin there is a precedent for such a disaster as the Westport Historical Society’s Journal Cathair Na Mart records a large wave hitting Westport Quay in November 1909. The wave caused damage as it hit the Quay breaking the Quay wall and leaving large pieces of it strewn over the road to Rossbeg. The wave sent a wall of water four feet high up as far as the old railway station, which is now the Quay school. </div> <div> Cllr Martin says the events are described in the article “Tidal wave at Westport Quay” which details the memories of Michael J Lyons who was fifteen at the time. According to the report “Tons of timber were strewn about. Boats lay in the road.” </div> <div> Cllr Martin says “Experts now believe the wave was the result of the tectonic plates shifting far out in the Atlantic and this sent a mini-tsunami wave racing ashore at Westport. Fortunately the damage was minor but it should serve as a warning to prepare. The odds of a Tsunami hitting Westport or Mayo again must be millions to one but we should be prepared just as we would for an airplane or train crash or other such unlikely disasters. Mayo County Council runs drills like the one this summer at Knock Airport whereby a plane crash is simulated. This tests the preparedness of the emergency services to cope with unlikely large-scale disasters.”</div> <div> Cllr Martin adds “We only have to look as the disasters in the Pacific or the recent flooding in New Orleans to know how deadly water can be and we should not be complacent about such events. Towns like Westport and Newport are only feet above the sea level at their Quays and we should be prepared.”</div> <div> ends... </div> <div> <I>COPY OF LETTER TO COUNTY SECRETARY</I> </div> <div> Mr John Condon</div> <div> County Secretary</div> <div> Mayo County Council</div> <div> Aras An Chontae</div> <div> Castlebar </div> <div> Co. Mayo</div> <div> 22 September 2005</div> <div> Dear County Secretary,</div> <div> Given the fact that towns like Westport and Newport and Achill Sound are very low lying and given the fact that water disasters like the Asian Tsunami and the New Orleans flooding could, in theory, occur on the west coast of Ireland I would request that for next year’s emergency services drill that a similar disaster be simulated to assess the county’s preparedness for such a disaster.</div> <div> There is a precedent for such an event as the Westport Historical Society records a small Tsunami wave hitting Westport Quay in 1909 where it caused considerable damage. </div> <div> I believe invaluable lessons can be learnt from such a drill and I would request that my proposal be considered for the 2006 drills.</div> <div> Yours sincerely</div> <div> ______________</div> <div> Cllr Keith Martin</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>