Additional resources have been deployed across Cumbria as Electricity North West engineers continue to tackle the ‘devastating’ Storm Arwen damage.

Power has now been restored to more than 95,500 properties across the region as repair work continues.

Electricity North West is also continuing to work with key strategic partners to help supply residents with free hot food and drinks until power is fully restored. The following outlets will be at the below locations this evening:

• Ambleside
  Food van – located at Waterhead Car Park, Waterhead Car Park, Borrans Road, Windermere, LA22 0GS
• Alston
  Food van – Next to Wright’s Garage at Nenthead, Wright Bros Coaches, Nenthead, Alston CA9 3NP

• Old Hutton
  Food van – located at The Parish Church Car Park, St John’s View, Old Hutton LA8 0NQ
• Backbarrow
  Food van – located at Lakeland Motor Museum, Old Blue Mill, Backbarrow LA12 8TA
• Grange
  The Causeway, Cartmel, UK, LA11 6PW

Community hubs have also been set up at Coniston Sports and Social Centre and Ambleside Parish Centre where people will be able to have hot food and drink, charge electric devices and have access to support officers for help and advice.

Stephanie Trubshaw, Electricity North West’s Customer Director and Incident Manager, said: “We know this is an extremely difficult time for customers and our teams are doing their utmost to restore power supplies as quickly as possible.

“We are constantly working with various partners to support those without power and have worked together to creating community hubs and provide free food and drink for the residents of Cumbria.

“We are also working closely with various MPs who are doing a great job in providing us information about new areas where we have been able to provide additional support for customers.”

Eight hundred separate incidents of damage have been reported with many engineers describing Storm Arwen as the worst they have ever seen with just short of 105,000 properties affected.

Electricity North West’s customer contact centre has also handled more than 60,000 calls and 6,000 outbound calls have been made to customers on the Priority Services Register.

And, following an extensive review of the remaining damage to the network, Electricity North West is now able to provide more accurate estimated times of restoration on their website to enable customers who are without electricity to better prepare.

Stephanie Trubshaw added: “We’ve been able to restore power to thousands of properties and as we’ve carried out the crucial repairs, more faults have been found because of the severe damage.

“Hundreds of engineers are continuing work and we’re also coordinating a multi-agency response including blue light services, the NHS, local councils and other support bodies to assist those customers who need additional support.

“We haven’t seen damage this widespread in several years and because it's across the region, it means some customers will remain off supply for a few more days. We encourage those customers to make alternative arrangements where possible and we are continuing to proactively reach out to our customers who may be in particularly vulnerable circumstances.”                     

For the latest food van information please visit www.enwl.co.uk/StormArwen.