Storm Éowyn and the Communications Failures That Left People in the Dark

Storm Éowyn left thousands of people across Ireland without power, water, or essential services for days. But beyond the physical impact, one of the biggest failures was in communication.

As a communications expert, I discussed this on The Anton Savage Show on Newstalk, highlighting how the government’s response lacked empathy, practical advice, and a clear understanding of why people were angry. Instead of addressing the real concerns of those affected, officials insisted they were on the ball, something that felt tone-deaf to those struggling with the reality of life without power or water.

This was a failure of preparation and messaging, and one that could have been avoided.

Now before I go any further, Storm Éowyn was unprecedented in both its strength and impact. It is not feasible to prepare for every possible outcome. However we simply do not have a plan for storms of this nature in Ireland, and a large part of that missing plan is a communications strategy on how to deal with the impact in the lead up to and after the storm impacts.

AI was used to generate this image.

1. The Government’s Tone-Deaf Messaging

One of the most frustrating aspects of the response was the attitude of government representatives when meeting people impacted by the storm. Officials told those struggling without power and water that they were working to restore services, a statement that rang hollow for anyone trying to sterilise bottles for a baby, charge a medical device, or store essential medication like insulin. In one instance a Roscommon resident put it plainly saying that households had experienced a breakdown in basic hygiene, explaining that they’d had no handwashing facilities in her home for seven days. More of what Ms Connolly told the Taoiseach can be read here.

For many, including myself, it never occurred to us before that we might need a backup power source. We are actively encouraged to retrofit our homes for sustainability, but the education piece on what to do in a power outage has been completely missing. How many people living in energy-efficient homes knew how to adjust their solar panel settings to charge an internal battery? If newly built homes are not permitted to have an open fireplace or be heated by solid fuels then what do we do in a blackout? This is a fundamental knowledge gap that must be addressed.

2. The Lack of Practical, Proactive Guidance

The government’s communication failures didn’t just stop at messaging—they failed to provide clear, practical guidance in the immediate aftermath of the storm.

Households should have been told:

• How to prepare for extended power cuts—including having battery-powered radios, portable chargers, and alternative heating sources.

• What to do if water services are interrupted—including the dangers of stagnant water and how to safely flush out tanks before use.

3. The HSE’s Communications Gap

The HSE’s role in communicating critical health risks was also severely lacking. Many homes and care facilities went days without water. The public needed to be told how to safely reintroduce water into their systems once supply was restored.

I said it on The Anton Savage Show, and I’ll say it again—when you’ve been without water for five or six days, your first instinct is to jump into the shower the second it comes back on. But if that water has been stagnant, you run the very real risk of infection or disease.

Why was there no national public information campaign warning people to run their taps before using the water? This was a serious oversight with potential health consequences.

4. The Digital Divide in Crisis Communication

Another glaring issue was the over-reliance on digital platforms for updates. When power is out, so is WiFi and mobile charging—meaning thousands of people were cut off from vital updates.

• Social media updates are useless if people can’t access the internet.

• Local radio is essential, but if households don’t have battery-powered radios, they’re left in the dark. I spent most of my career working in radio. I’ve worked through storms with local authorities to get the word out, I’ve even been awarded for those efforts. However in modern homes if you don’t have power you don’t have access to broadcast media.

• We need physical, real-world solutions for communication during blackouts.

5. The Need for On-the-Ground Leaflet Drops

Local authorities should have had pre-printed emergency leaflets ready to distribute in affected areas. These should have included:

• Locations of community support centres with power, heat, and food.

• Contact details for local emergency services and helplines.

• Step-by-step instructions on what to do in a prolonged outage.

This is not just a hypothetical solution—this is what should have happened. Instead, people were left scrambling for information, often relying on word of mouth.

6. The Reality: Many People in Need Have Never Been in Need Before

One of the most striking aspects of Storm Éowyn was that many of those affected had never faced hardship like this before. Communities didn’t have a built up muscle memory of what to do or where to go to ask for help. 

We’re talking about:

• Homeowners who had never had to seek emergency assistance before.

• Families in newly retrofitted homes who had no idea how to prepare for outages.

• People who simply didn’t know where to go for help—because they had never needed to before.

This is why preparedness must become a national priority. Climate change means more storms are coming, and we must build a culture of readiness.

Learning from Failures

The communications failures after Storm Éowyn cannot be repeated. This is not about pointing fingers, it’s about ensuring that next time, we get it right.

• The government must change its messaging to be empathetic, practical, and in touch with what people on the ground are dealing with.

• The HSE must step up its public information role, ensuring vital health warnings are communicated before and after major weather events.

• Local authorities must have pre-prepared emergency leaflets ready to distribute in affected areas.

• Households need clear, accessible guidance on how to prepare for and handle prolonged outages.

Storms are not a question of if, they are a question of when. If we fail to prepare, we will fail people again.