Engineers from Electricity North West have restored power to 17,500 properties overnight as twin storms, Elin and Fergus, hit the region.
Tree branches and debris caused widespread damage bringing down overhead power lines as winds hit more than 60mph. The high winds have caused issues for teams on site, making it unsafe overnight for lines teams to climb and make repairs, hampering restoration times.
Engineers are working again this morning to restore power to the remaining 1,000 properties after more than 40 individual damages to the network. Impact has largely been across Lancashire but with damage also reported in Cumbria, Greater Manchester and Cheshire.
Electricity North West incident manager, Mark Mercer, said: “Following hot on the heels of the challenging snow conditions our teams faced last weekend we are now back out fighting the elements again to restore power to customers.
“Despite many teams not being able to climb yesterday it’s been a huge effort from our engineers and we’ve made good progress restoring power to the vast majority of people affected.
“After working well into the night last night we were back on it at first light today and are thankful for a break in the weather to enable us to carry out repairs to get the remaining properties back on.
“It can be incredibly difficult to be without power, especially if you rely on it for medical equipment or have other needs, so if you need any additional support, please contact us and let us know.
“If you see lines down or damage to any of our equipment, stay well clear and call us on 105 so we can make the area safe.”
Electricity North West has dispatched drones to affected areas to help assess damage and help prioritise repairs and is working with local food outlets to provide hot food and drink for those impacted.
Mark added: “Repairs are taking a little longer than we’d like because of the conditions but we’re on track to get everyone back on today. I’m proud of our teams responding so quickly again especially after last weekend and I want to reassure customers we’re doing all we can to get them restored.”
If anyone needs any extra support, they can join Electricity North West’s free Extra Care register by calling 105 or going to www.enwl.co.uk/extracare.
