Post-Storm Darragh: Thousands Remain Without Electricity

Following Storm Darragh, thousands of residents in Devon and Cornwall continue to experience power outages. National Grid reported that over 5,000 properties across these two counties lacked electricity as of Monday evening. The company indicated that some individuals might not have their power restored until at least 20:00 GMT, though engineering crews persisted “to work hard in challenging weather conditions to restore power supplies”. National Grid stated that the area “bore the brunt of the awful conditions caused by Storm Darragh,” experiencing wind gusts reaching up to 96mph (155km/h). The utility provider further commented: “We have made significant progress restoring power to more than 1.5 million customers since it hit our network.” “We’ll be aiming to get the remaining customers off supply reconnected as quickly as possible and apologise for the ongoing inconvenience they are facing as they wait for power to be restored.” Matt Turner, a representative from National Grid, expressed his understanding that losing power was “frustrating” but noted that repair crews, who were “out there all hours in really dreadful weather,” valued the “patience and kindness” demonstrated by customers. Mr. Turner affirmed that the situation was “heading in the right direction and the hard work really does continue.” He mentioned that the conditions had been “challenging” for engineering teams, yet power had been re-established for over 875,000 properties throughout the South West. Mr. Turner also stated that certain customers who had experienced power loss for 24 hours or more could qualify for customer guarantee payments, which utility companies automatically process without requiring individuals to submit a claim. A resident from Landkey, located in north Devon, reported being without hot water, heating, and electricity since 05:00 GMT on Saturday. Aimee Jarvis informed BBC Radio Devon: “There’s not much signal down here, so you’re just sat in the dark doing nothing and there’s just silence.” “It’s quite lonely, which I don’t think I’ve experienced before. “I know there are people worse off; people with babies who are trying to sort the formula out, or the elderly who are really feeling the cold. “But, when going to work is the highlight of your day for warmth and electricity, it’s a bit of an eye-opener.”” Ms. Jarvis mentioned that power restoration, initially scheduled for 18:00 on Sunday, had been postponed by 24 hours. She commented: “It’s just one of those things – it’s a storm, you can’t be angry because they’re trying their hardest.” Donal Stafford, who owns the Hartland Quay Hotel, expressed feeling “quite lucky” even though the establishment had to close for the weekend. In an interview with BBC Devon, he stated: “We are right on the north-west corner of Devon, just where the Atlantic meets the Bristol Channel. The hotel is at the base of a 300ft (91m) cliff, so we are completely exposed to the northern and western elements, which were dominant over the weekend.” Mr. Stafford reported that the hotel endured “lots of wind, some roof damage, power cuts and internet outages, but nothing that can’t be put back together.” Peter Brend, a director at Brend Collection, confirmed that The Barnstaple Hotel in north Devon sustained damage when its “roof ripped right off” during the storm on Saturday. He described the event as “pretty devastating.” “Yesterday’s clean up operation was mammoth.” “We had to call in cranes, road sweepers, scaffolders, electricians – every service that you could think of came to our aid and we’re really grateful of that.” Darragh marked the fourth named storm of the current season, succeeding Storm Ashley, Storm Bert, and Storm Conall. Wind gusts exceeding 70mph (112km/h) were extensively reported, even in inland areas. The South