Scientists from University of Galway revealed that Storm Éowyn's winds caused the highest storm surges ever recorded in Galway, Limerick, and Shannon Airport. The storm occurred during low tide, helping to prevent serious flooding. Had it occurred a week earlier, coinciding with a spring tide, catastrophic flooding could have ensued, with storm surges reaching as high as 5.85 metres in some areas. Experts emphasized the narrow escape from disaster, highlighting the potential for devastating impacts on populated coastal regions.
"It is hard to imagine how narrowly we avoided unprecedented storm surge flooding and an inundation," Dr Indiana Olbert, from the School of Engineering at University of Galway's College of Science and Engineering, said.
"The data we have recovered from the hours around Storm Éowyn shows just how narrowly tens of thousands of people avoided tidal inundation and threats to cities, towns and coastal communities."
At Galway Port, the storm surge peaked at a record high of 2.6 metres above mean sea level, the average height of the sea surface.
Had these surges occurred a week earlier during the spring tide, the water levels would have been much higher.
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