All of the remaining homes left without power following the chaos caused by Storm Arwen have now been reconnected to the network.
Nearly 10 days after the fierce weather hit the north of Scotland, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) has at last restored supply to all storm-hit properties.
Tens of thousands of homes in the north and north-east lost their electric supply when fierce winds of up to 90mph blasted the country last Friday.
A taskforce of engineers has since been working round the clock to restore full power to those affected by the “once in a generation weather event”.
Director of operations for SSEN, Mark Rough, said its impact on the north-east has been “unprecedented” with Storm Arwen causing almost two years’ worth of overhead line faults in just 12 hours.
Hundreds of customers had remained without any means for cooking or heating for more than a week due to the “catastrophic damage to the electricity network”, despite the power firm’s efforts.
SSEN has now confirmed that all 135,000 homes have been reconnected to the grid.
‘Worst storm in 35 years’
Mr Rough apologised for the length of the power disruption across the region and added: “In the 35 years that I have worked for SSEN, I can honestly say that this is the worst storm I have ever experienced.
“The extensive damage caused to our network by Storm Arwen has been unprecedented in some areas, with the north-east region experiencing the equivalent of almost two years’ worth of overhead line faults in just one 12-hour period.
“I am fully aware of the difficult situation this has caused for many of our customers and am incredibly sorry for the length of time that some our customers have been without power.
“I know that this has been a challenging time for many, and I want to thank everyone for their patience and understanding while our teams battled to restore supplies.”
‘Make no mistake, we are still responding to this incident’
Following the restoration of power to customers, the operational status in the region has been moved from red to yellow alert and will remain as such until the network returns to full operational health.
SSEN engineers will maintain a heavy staff presence across the affected areas to carry out remedial repairs, as well as maintain and refuel any mobile generators.
The power firm will also begin to distribute compensation to customers who had been left without power for more than two days.
Those who hadn’t had their supply restored after 48 hours will receive £70, and a subsequent £70 for each 12-hour period thereafter, with no cap on the payments.
Mr Rough paid tribute to all SSEN teams and local communities who worked relentlessly in “exceptionally demanding conditions” to help the region recover.
He said: “This monumental effort has been supported by great collaborative working with local community groups and government agencies to ensure the safety and welfare of customers and communities.
“They have done an amazing job in some exceptionally demanding conditions. ”
Chairman of the Local Resilience Partnership Superintendent Murray Main added: “This is a fantastic announcement from SSEN. Our shared thanks to every person involved in restoring the power in what has been an extraordinary set of circumstances.
“Make no mistake, we are still responding to this incident. Support for those who need it within our communities continues, as we start moving closer towards and through the recovery phase.
“This announcement from SSEN does not mean are standing down, our work continues to ensure we can move our communities back to business as usual, as soon as possible.”
Storm Barra – another blow to the north-east?
As the devastating aftermath of Storm Arwen is at last coming to an end, the north-east is expected to be blasted by yet another wave of harsh weather on Tuesday.
The Met Office has now issued a yellow warning for wind and snow, which will be into force from 9am on Tuesday until the early hours of Wednesday.
Storm Arwen’s successor – Storm Barra – is expected to once again cause disruption to transport services, as well as potential road and bridge closures.
⚠️ Yellow weather warning issued ⚠️
Snow across Scotland and northern England
Tuesday 1100 – 2359
Latest info 👉 https://t.co/QwDLMfRBfsStay #WeatherAware⚠️ pic.twitter.com/Uou00iUWVf
— Met Office (@metoffice) December 5, 2021
It is possible that some areas could have problems with power supplies, which will come as a blow as many houses across Aberdeenshire have only just got power back.
However, SSEN has reassured residents they will be actively tracking and monitoring the weather front in the next two days, while also moving resources and equipment to locations they believe will see the worst of the weather.
Mr Rough said: “As we continue to work to return the network to full operational health in the coming days, we will maintain enhanced staffing levels.”
“This is important as we want to make absolutely sure that we are aware of all faults on our localised network and are calling on any customers who are returning to an unoccupied property, or who have not been in contact with us and are still without power, to get in touch by calling 105 as soon as possible.”
