‘We prepared as best we could’: Storm Amy leaves trail of destruction at Leitrim’s Organic Centre

Storm Amy swept over the country on Friday, October 3, leaving damage and power outages in its wake. The northwest bore the brunt of the storm, with Donegal recording winds of almost 150km/h.

In Leitrim, damage occurred across the county, with significant power outages leaving thousands of homes in the dark. The ESB is working to restore power across the country, and the extent of the damage has become evident now that the storm has passed.

The Organic Centre in Rossinver suffered significant storm damage as a result of Storm Amy. The extent of the destruction has led the centre to set up an iDonate page to help cover repair costs.

The Organic Centre also sustained considerable damage during Storm Éowyn in January. The frequency and worsening severity of storm conditions is something that has become deeply worrying for them.

READ NEXT: Leitrim to celebrate mind, body and community ahead of World Mental Health Day

Thankfully, staff were safe, but the Organic Centre site suffered a substantial amount of damage due to the Orange warning that impacted Leitrim. 

The cover was blown off one of the centre's main produce tunnels, destroying some crops, while flooding occurred and doors were blown off the centre's disabled-access tunnel.

Damage to the produce tunnel which the centre grows vegetables for shops

There was also flooding in the dome where children had recently held their art workshops during Apple Day, which took place just last weekend on September 28.

Staff plan to try and salvage some of the vegetable produce from the tunnel and pick what they can, but other crops will not be salvageable and will be spoiled.

The team at the centre is currently assessing the full extent of the damage in the coming days but anticipates a significant amount of time, work, and cost will be required. It is estimated that digging out and replacing the tunnel alone could cost up to €1,500.

READ NEXT: Thrilling Connacht Gold Leitrim SFC Semi-Final leaves fans breathless after dramatic draw

Stephen Campbell, manager of the Organic Centre, said, “We prepared as best we could but can't control these things. We've started the clear up and we will be moving forward from here.”

Donations can be made to the Organic Centre via iDonate at this link.