Irish expat in Dubai describes terror as missile strikes leave homes shaking and alarms blaring
Exclusive: Kerri Murphy spoke of how the house trembled, the windows and glasses shook and how she “felt nauseous and my body went numb” when alarms went off telling them to get to safety and stay indoors
An Irish expat has told of sheer terror in Dubai as Iranian ballistic missiles lit up the night sky, explosions rocked homes and emergency alarms blared across the city, leaving her feeling nauseous and as though her body had gone numb.
Kerri Murphy, from Dublin, described how her house trembled and windows and glasses rattled as blasts rang out, before a chilling phone alert ordered families to get to safety and stay indoors.
The expat community has been left shaken as tensions escalate across the region, with many glued to their phones for updates while trying to keep life as normal as possible for their children.
Kerri has been living in Dubai for the past 11 years with her husband and their two children.
Kerri Murphy she she received alarms “telling us to get to safety and stay indoors and away from windows”
Speaking to Irish Mirror on Sunday morning from their home in the Meydan Nad Al Sheba area, Kerri told of how the house trembled, the windows and glasses shook and how she “felt nauseous and my body went numb” when alarms went off telling them to get to safety and stay indoors.
Kerri said she has “never experienced anything like this before.”
She said the drama began when relatives holidaying in Abu Dhabi rang with chilling news.
“They told us fighter jets and explosions were going off. We never expected Dubai to be hit.”
Living in the Meydan Nad Al Sheba area, she first heard faint bangs, then her phone exploded with messages from her ‘Dubai Irish Mums’ WhatsApp group.
“People were saying there were loud bangs and houses and windows shaking across Dubai, especially in the Townsquare and Mira areas.
“Then we saw videos online of missiles being intercepted over the Marina. It felt surreal.”
As Iran launched a wave of missiles and drones across the Gulf in retaliation for the US-Israel offensive, the nightmare edged closer to them.
A projectile falls over Dubai on February 28, 2026. AFP correspondents heard a loud explosion in Dubai on February 28 and one of them saw a plume of smoke rising from the city. The explosions came in the wake of wide-ranging Iranian attacks on the Gulf, in retaliation for US and Israel strikes on Iran.(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
“Later that evening we heard a huge impact. The house trembled. The windows and glasses were clearly shaking,” said Kerri.
“That’s when it really hit. We had to explain to the kids what was happening and reassure them. I felt like I had to stay calm for them.”
But, just as they tried to sleep, fresh panic struck.
“Around 12.30am our phones went off with alarms telling us to get to safety and stay indoors and away from windows,” Kerri said.
“That’s when I felt nauseous and my body went numb. We just had to wait for it to pass.”
Explosions continued into the early hours, with more “clear interceptions and loud bangs” around 7.30am what felt like directly overhead, Kerri said.
“It was surreal to wake up to news that Dubai Airport had been hit while all this was happening above us.”
Meanwhile, online fitness coach Maria Gilbert, from Wicklow who lives in Dubai, said Saturday night as missiles lit up the sky was “very scary and the bangs are loud.”
Taking to TikTok to her 876k followers, Maria, who runs Masha’s Peaces, gave an update to her 876k followers on Sunday morning.
“We are safe. We are ok. Last night, I am not going to lie, it was very scary,” Maria said.
“That siren going off on all our phones was so loud. But we did manage to go back asleep. I feel like now we are only getting a little snippet of other countries’ experience on a daily basis.
“The bangs are loud, they are still going off, the doors are shaking, but they seem far away from us. But what can we do except stay indoors.
“The babies are asleep, Seb is ok. But we are ok. And I know God is with us, so we are not afraid.”
A yacht sails past a plume of smoke rising from the port of Jebel Ali following a reported Iranian strike in Dubai on March 1, 2026. Fresh blasts were heard across the Gulf cities of Dubai, Doha and Manama on Sunday morning after a day of Iran strikes in the region in retaliation for US and Israeli attacks. (Image: Fadel SENNA / AFP via Getty Images)
The attacks left one person dead and 11 injured after debris fell near airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Thousands of flights have been grounded in one of the biggest travel disruptions since Covid.
But despite the fear, Kerri says the community is pulling together.
“In the midst of all this chaos, the community in Dubai has been strong and looking out for each other. And overall, even with everything going on, the Ministry of Defence is doing everything in its power to keep us safe.”
