Home Affairs Minister Juan Watterson MHK has praised the work of the emergency services in responding to the impact and aftermath of the recent severe weather.
The Isle of Man Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Service, Emergency Services Joint Control Room and Civil Defence Unit were at the forefront of efforts to deal with problems caused by tidal flooding on Friday and Monday.
They worked alongside officers from the Department of Infrastructure, Water and Sewerage Authority, Coastguards and Ambulance Service to help householders and businesses affected by the storm surges.
As the big clean-up operation continues, Minister Watterson has thanked all those who responded to the Island’s most significant tidal flooding events since 2002.
He said:
‘The severe weather brought the work of the emergency services into sharp focus and once again they responded in a professional and effective manner. Officers dealt with flooding at several locations across the Island and helped to get traffic moving and people back to their properties as soon as it was safe to do so. Public safety is always our primary concern, particularly when vulnerable members of the community are affected.’
He added:
‘The flooding was accurately predicted by the Met Office, so officers from a number of Government agencies were able to work together to put contingency measures in place. There are always lessons to be learned from major incidents such as this and we will be reviewing our planning and response procedures in the time ahead.’
Castletown and Ramsey faced the biggest impact from the flooding, as gale force winds combined with high tides to create significant storm surges in coastal areas.
Ian Young, Emergency Planning Officer, said:
‘In addition to the work of the emergency services, DoI and other Government Departments, I’d like to pay tribute to the volunteers from the Civil Defence Unit who play such a crucial role in multi-agency incidents such as this. Their support is extremely valuable and provides added reassurance to the local community.’
