ESB crews working overtime to restore power supplies across West Cork

THOUSANDS of electricity customers remain without power today due to the impact of ex-hurricane Ophelia on the electricity network.

Fallen trees on overhead lines are responsible for most of the damage to the network. At the height of the storm, 385,000 customers nationwide were without power but 170,000 have now had their power restored.

However, it is still believed that several thousand households in West Cork remain without power, as Cork was the county which took the brunt of the storm.

Today, ESB Networks crews are prioritising repairs to higher voltage lines. Restoring power to essential services such as water pumping and sewage facilities, medical facilities and customers with medical needs are a priority.

All available resources from ESB Networks are being deployed to carry out repairs to the network and restore power.  Crews will be assisted by contractors and by crews from electricity utilities in Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales, many of whom will travel on ferries this evening. 

In many cases, crews are having difficulty gaining access to power lines as they are hampered by fallen trees and debris. Timber contractors are working to help clear access routes. They are also using helicopters to patrol the high voltage lines to establish where the damage has occurred. Today six helicopters, including a number from the Air Corps, will be in the air patrolling lines in the South, Midlands, West and North of the country.

To check if your area’s fault has been recorded, see powercheck.ie where you can also report a fault.

For full coverage of Storm Ophelia see Thursday’s Southern Star.