WATCH: Alderney's breakwater battered by Darragh

Monday 09 December 2024

Dozens of trees fell in Guernsey over the weekend as Storm Darragh battered the Bailiwick.

Most have been cleared already but work is continuing on a small number of fallen trees which are blocking public highways today.

Rue de la Grange in St Saviour's is due to be cleared today along with Talbot Valley.

Les Traudes in St Martin's will be closed until tomorrow evening. 

The clearance work over the weekend, and continuing today and tomorrow, has mostly been carried out by Guernsey Fire and Rescue Service and private companies, some of which have been publicly praised by members of the public for turning out while the storm was at its peak during Saturday.

Pictured: Guernsey's tree surgeons were hard at work all weekend.

While the storm was building and at its peak, the decision was taken by the emergency services to encourage people to stay indoors, but there wasn't an explicit 'stay at home' order issued.

An initial message from Bailiwick Law Enforcement said: "While we’re not telling the island to stay at home today, we’d ask people to use their own judgement to decide whether they can stay in or they need to go out", with a message later on Saturday afternoon adding: "We continue to urge the Bailiwick to avoid outdoor activities and to stay away from the coast and the sea".

Some 'weather watchers' did take to coastal areas to share the effect of Storm Darragh with others though. 

Across the Bailiwick, ferries and flights were cancelled due to the storm on Saturday with services affected on Sunday too. 

Alderney's Admiralty Breakwater was dwarfed by waves during the peak of the storm, with people in the island "discouraged" from attempting to visit the walkway.

Alderney States Member Alex Snowdon filmed the waves from a safe distance, while the island's Plebiscite was taking place at the Island Hall. 

Damage caused to buildings appears to have been limited with La Houguette School understood to have been the worst hit.

States Property Unit staff were called to the school yesterday after damage was spotted to its roof. The damage is said to be "significant" with the school closed to all pupils today.

"...there is debris scattered across the roof and site generally. There has been water ingress into a number of rooms and repair works now need to be made," said a States spokesperson.

School staff and parents were told on Monday morning that the school would be reopening on Tuesday as repair work to the upper roof had already begun and the property would be safe enough for the school to operate while the final repairs are completed.

Both year 5 classes and 4LC will be moving downstairs while this work is finished though, and although 'pick up' time should be able to continue as normal there will be less space for cars so the school is asking parents to consider car sharing, arranged pick-ups, or using active travel while the repair work continues. 

Due to the scaffolding wrapping around the corner and using the area outside the Year 2 classrooms, Year 2 children can be picked up at the infant doors at the end of the day.

Anecdotally, Express has also heard of glass flying out of derelict greenhouses, garden furniture being displaced, and covers for barbecues and bikes etc being blown away. 

Following closures over the weekend as a result of Storm Darragh, all public waste and recycling sites are open as normal today, but users have been warned that they may close at short notice if the wind picks up to dangerous levels again.

The Mont Cuet Green Waste site will also be open tomorrow and Wednesday to compensate for the disruption experienced over the weekend.

Household waste and recycling collections are scheduled to operate as normal this week but a spokesperson said there may be some delays or properties unable to be collected from if access is restricted due to storm debris.

Householders are "strongly urged" to consider whether they can hold on to materials until their next collection as windy conditions are anticipated to continue, but anything that is set out should be "adequately weighted", but not using bricks, stones or other heavy items.

Pictured top: Still from video shared by Alex Snowdon.