3 Deaths Blamed On Ophelia In Ireland

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GALWAY (CBSMiami) –Tropical storm Ophelia is blamed for at least three deaths in Ireland and could be country's worst storm in more than 50 years.

Ophelia packed 100 mph wind gusts and created 30-foot waves which battered Ireland's southern coast Monday, knocking down trees and power lines.

Over 360,000 homes and businesses were left without electricity with another 100,000 outages expected by nightfall, Ireland's Electricity Supply Board said, describing it as an unprecedented event that would affect every part of the country for days.

Schools across Northern Ireland will remain closed on Tuesday.

Ophelia was downgraded from a hurricane to tropical storm before it made landfall, but it still left a path of deadly destruction. A woman was killed when a tree fell on her car.

In Galway, an eyewitness recorded waves crashing into a flooded car park and flood water in the road and in Cork and eyewitness recorded the roof of a building being carried by the strong winds.

The government said Ophelia could be the worst storm to hit since Hurricane Debbie killed 11 people in 1961.

British authorities have also issued warnings for residents in Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland. They say the storm will likely cause flying debris, power cuts, and public transportation delays.