Emergency services, the local authority and other key organisations are working with Northern Powergrid to support residents in County Durham following the impact of Storm Malik.
The Emergency Planning Strategic Co-ordination Group (SCG) for County Durham and
Darlington has been convened and declared a major incident after the storm brought gale
force winds overnight.
The storm brought down power lines across the region and a number of properties in
County Durham remain without power.
Declaring a major incident means that the partner organisations of the Local Resilience
Forum (LRF) have escalated the issue in order to be in a position to provide additional
support to those who are affected by a loss of power.
Engineers from Northern Powergrid are currently assessing the outages. As they are
unable to confirm when supplies to all properties will be reinstated, the decision has been
taken to declare a major incident so that all possible resources are made available to
support residents affected by the power cuts.
Chief Superintendent Richie Allen, Chair of the SCG, said: “We are working closely with all
of our partners, including Northern Powergrid, to ensure that supplies are restored as soon
as possible, particularly for those who are vulnerable.
“It’s just two months since many communities were left without power as a result of Storm
Arwen, so we understand that residents will be anxious to ensure their supplies are quickly
restored.
“Residents can be assured that support is available to anyone who needs it so, if you need
help, please get in touch.
“I would also ask that people please continue to look out for friends, family members are
neighbours where possible, particularly if they know of anyone who is vulnerable.”
Representatives from all agencies have been working together to respond to a number of
issues caused by the storm.
In addition to power outages, officers have also been dealing with fallen trees, blocked
roads and damage to properties. They will continue to monitor the situation over the
coming day to ensure people and their property remain safe and vital transport links
remain open.
Cllr Amanda Hopgood, Leader of Durham County Council, said: “We would like to
reassure residents that our staff are on hand to offer support to those affected by Storm
Malik.
“Multi-agency partners have been working tirelessly over the day in local communities to
clear blocked roads and footpaths, to clear debris and to keep our roads open. I also know
many councillors are also working in their local communities and I would like to say a huge
thank you to everyone involved.
“At this stage, Northern Powergrid are unable to advise when power will be restored to all
affected households and we would encourage those who have been impacted by the
storm to call the appropriate helpline numbers and, where possible, to access the relevant
websites for advice and information.
“We will also continue to provide updates as soon as we are able to in order to ensure
residents are kept informed of the situation.”
Anyone who is aware of an older or vulnerable person who needs help, can contact our
customer services team on 03000 26 0000. This number is available 24 hours, with out of
hours emergency support available through our Care Connect team.
To report a loss of power, visit www.northernpowergrid.com – a map showing updated
information on current power cuts is available at https://www.northernpowergrid.com/power-cuts .
If someone is without power and is vulnerable, call 105. Additional contact numbers are
available for residents with a hearing or speech impairment. Full details are available at
If you are without power, please:
Use torches and not candles
Keep portable heaters one metre away from you, your furniture or any other belongings
Never use portable heaters to dry clothes
Only use heaters on a stable surface
Service heaters on an annual basis
Keep chimneys and flues clean and well maintained
Install a Carbon Monoxide alarm in all rooms with a solid fuel/gas/oil appliance or fire
Ensure camping or temporary stoves are used correctly and safely
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