Storm Éowyn: 32,000 premises remain without power amid new warning over restoration times

More than 32,000 homes, farms, schools and businesses remain without electricity

Karl an Austrian electrician works alongside ESB employees to repair a power line that was damaged in Storm Éowyn. Photograph: Enda O'Dowd
Karl an Austrian electrician works alongside ESB employees to repair a power line that was damaged in Storm Éowyn. Photograph: Enda O'Dowd

Customers still without power after Storm Éowyn could see their estimated restoration times change over the coming days as ESB Networks continues efforts to reconnect 32,000 homes, farms, schools and businesses.

ESB Networks said it is mobilising “all available resources” to restore power to these premises “as soon as possible”. Power has been restored to 736,000 properties since the storm hit more than 10 days ago and “intensive work will continue”, the company said.

Estimated restoration times in the areas with the largest number of faults could shift and customers should check www.PowerCheck.ie, the ESB said.

The infrastructure manager said in some instances, when carrying out restoration work on main lines, customers whose power has been reconnected should be aware that it has to be disconnected again for very short periods of time to allow neighbours to be reconnected.

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“These interruptions ensure that restoration work can safely take place on the system,” a statement said.

“Skilled technicians from counterparts in Austria, Finland, France, Great Britain, Germany, Netherlands and Norway are on the ground in the worst impacted areas. They are supporting over 2,500 local ESB Networks crews and partner contactors who have been bolstered by colleagues from the south and east of the country, as well as skilled retirees.”

In addition to the crews deployed, more than 1,300 support staff are involved in overseeing damage assessment, emergency call management, logistics and network operations.

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ESB Networks’ customer contact centre has also doubled its resources to accommodate the unprecedented high volumes of calls, resulting in short call response times throughout the day and night for their customers, it said.

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Sarah Burns

Sarah Burns

Sarah Burns is a reporter for The Irish Times