A student had a lucky escape when
the storm ripped through her fourth-storey Limerick apartment, whipping off a patio door and a section of her kitchen which fell to the street below.
Jill Holmes (31), a University of Limerick student, was later evacuated by firemen from the apartment block on Sarsfield Street.
A large section of the building's facade was also ripped out, sending hundreds of redbrick blocks crashing to the street.
Off its hinges
Ms Holmes said: "I was just standing in the kitchen when I saw that the door was coming ajar and it was coming off its hinges. I just stepped away and it just flew [out] on to the street. I tried to move everything away from the door. I just hope that no one got hurt there on the street."
Joe Corbett (51), also living in the apartment block, said he thought an aircraft had hit the building such was the force of the storm breaking against it. "Just a bang. It sounded just like a small aircraft landed on the roof, and the next thing I saw hundreds of red bricks flying by the window. I'm on the third [floor] and the apartment overhead me got affected."
Emergency response
Limerick City and County Council said last night it was continuing to co-ordinate an emergency response to hundreds of incidents arising from the weather. A major emergency co-ordination structure had been enacted as a result of the storm-force winds.
Paul Crowe, director of services for the council, said it was advising the public to avoid making any unnecessary journeys.
He said most roads throughout the city and county were affected by fallen trees and debris.
The roof of Limerick Rowing Club collapsed at about 1pm. The Crescent Shopping Centre was evacuated as a precaution.