CALLS are to be made for the opening of community centres to allow people to take refuge from their structurally unsafe homes during severe weather warnings.

Stormy Amy battered Donegal earlier this month, with the county recording some of the highest speed winds during the red weather warning.

In response to Storm Amy, Donegal County Council arranged for the opening of a number of community based emergency hubs across the county and co-ordinated a response with Donegal Civil Defence to provide essential services.

But Councillor Tómas Seán Devine, of the 100% Redress Party, said Storm Amy was upgraded to a red alert warning with very short notice.

He is expected to call on the MD to support him in his calls for the opening of community centres clubs when orange weather alerts are in place: “I think we all agree the recent storm was very short notice being updated from orange to red and people hadn’t any time to prepare to leave their unfit homes or mobiles. We are better being safe than sorry,” his motion reads.

Councillor Donal Coyle (FF) is to ask the Council to write to TII to urgently carry out the work that is needed to remedy the constant flooding that occurs on the National Primary Roads in the MD during heavy rainfall and storms.