Major incident declared in Suffolk as Storm Eunice hits the county
Forecasters say it represents a "significant danger to life"
Last updated 18th Feb 2022
A major incident has been declared in Suffolk as Storm Eunice batters the county, bringing with it extremely strong winds.
The Suffolk Resilience Forum, which is made up of councils, health bodies, utility companies, and emergency services, made the decision this morning following an assessment of the situation facing the county.
The Resilience Forum’s Strategic Coordination Group is being chaired by Suffolk Fire and Rescue Chief Fire Officer Jon Lacey. He said: “We are facing a significant risk of disruption and danger to life with the force of Storm Eunice.
“It is therefore right that we respond in a fully coordinated way with all blue light and public sector partners.
“I ask everyone to avoid any unnecessary travel and keep up to date on the latest advice being given by public bodies.”
A major incident is called when the situation is believed to be beyond ‘business-as-usual’ operations and when there is the heightened risk of serious harm, damage, disruption or threat to human life or welfare.
A number of public sector services have been affected today, including more than 100 school being closed and students moving to online learning.
Libraries and Family Hubs are closed, and some waste collections have been impacted.
A rare red weather warning has been issued by the Met Office.
Forecasters say it represents a "significant danger to life", thanks to flying debris.
The warning is in effect from 10am to 3pm (18th February), although the area is also covered by an amber warning, from 5am until 9pm.
Buildings and homes could be damaged, and power cuts are expected.
Met Office Chief Meteorologist Paul Gundersen said: “After the impacts from Storm Dudley for many on Wednesday, Storm Eunice will bring damaging gusts in what could be one of the most impactful storms to affect southern and central parts of the UK for a few years.”
“The red warning areas indicate a significant danger to life as extremely strong winds provide the potential for damage to structures and flying debris. Although the most exposed coastal areas could see gusts in excess of 90mph, winds will remain notably strong further inland, with gusts of between 60-70mph for most within the amber warning area, and up to 80mph in a few places.”
WATCH: Our reporter Tom Clabon is out on the Suffolk coast for us:
Travel Disruption
National Highways Head of Road Safety, Jeremy Phillips, said: “We’re encouraging drivers to check the latest weather and travel conditions before setting off on journeys and consider if their journey is necessary and can be delayed until conditions improve. If you do intend to travel, then plan your trip and take extra care, allowing more time for your journey.
“In high winds, there’s a particular risk to lorries, caravans and motorbikes so we’d advise drivers of these vehicles to slow down.
“Drivers of other vehicles should be aware of sudden gusts of wind which can affect handling and braking, and give high-sided vehicles, caravans, and motorbikes plenty of space. In the event of persistent high winds we may need to close bridges to traffic for a period, so please be alert for warnings of closures and follow signed diversion routes.”
The Orwell Bridge has been shut in both directions due to the high winds.
Drivers are being urged to be cautious after this happened on the A11 earlier:
People are being advised to plan ahead for their journey - if it's necessary.
On the trains Greater Anglia have suspended all services to give Network Rail a chance to catch up with repairs.
A number of trees are down on tracks across the region which is causing problems.
Some passengers are having to be helped by train staff.Most are offering remote learning options instead.
Other Disruption
As well as issues with travel, a number of other services and attractions have been affected today.
The Port of Felixstowe has closed, a spokesman said it was expected to be closed until tomorrow morning.
We've been told its due to safety concerns on site with the high winds.
The port handles 36% of the UK's freight container traffic.
Ipswich Borough Council has closed all parks, cancelled the market and shut the Town Hall.
Suffolk's recycling centres are also shut
Ipswich Town has shut its superstore at Portman Road and encouraged fans to stay home today.
We'll have more on all of this in our bulletins throughout today.