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Back to Press Releases 08 December 2024

ESB Networks Storm Darragh update

  • As at 5pm on Sunday, 8th December, approximately 55,000 homes, farms and businesses remain without power. Power has been restored to 340,000 customers following Storm Darragh  
  • There has been widespread and extensive damage to electricity infrastructure across the country. The impact is similar to that of Storm Ophelia in 2017
  • All ESB Networks crews and partner contractors will continue working into this evening and tonight to safely restore power to as many customers as possible in challenging conditions. Furthermore, crews from French counterparts, Enedis, are sailing overnight and will arrive tomorrow to assist with power restoration in the worst impacted areas
  • Significant numbers will be without supply for a number of days. Due to the severity and significant scale of the damage some customers could be without power for approximately a week. Assessment of the extent of the damage is continuing
  • Given the scale of the damage and the dynamic nature of the event, we will continue to estimate restoration times for customers. Updates on www.PowerCheck.ie
  • Stay Safe, Stay Clear of fallen electricity wires. Report any damage to the network by calling 1800 372 999

Issued: 5pm on Sunday, 8th December 2024 

As at 5pm today, approximately 55,000 homes, farms and businesses remain without power following extremely strong and gusty winds associated with Storm Darragh which caused widespread and extensive damage to the electricity network across the country. ESB Networks teams have restored power to 340,000 customers impacted by Storm Darragh.

The impact is nationwide but some of the most affected areas are in the North West, Midlands and South East.

Storm Darragh is similar in impact to Storm Ophelia in 2017, which left 385,000 customers without power at the peak but with more widespread impact across the country.

All ESB Networks crews, with extensive support from partner contractors (full list below), will continue working into this evening and tonight to safely restore power to as many customers as possible in challenging conditions. Furthermore, crews from French counterparts Enedis are sailing overnight and will arrive tomorrow to assist with power restoration in the worst impacted areas. There is longstanding cooperation in place with electricity network operators in Ireland, the UK and France in providing such support. 

The majority of customers impacted by Storm Darragh have had their power restored but significant numbers will be without supply for a number of days. Due to the severity and significant scale of the damage some customers could be without power for approximately a week. Assessment of the extent of damage is continuing.

It is important that any impacted customers who use electrically powered medical devices contact their healthcare professional to make alternative arrangements if necessary.

Given the scale of the damage and the dynamic nature of the event, we will continue to update estimated restoration times for customers and we will update www.PowerCheck.ie as information is confirmed. We advise customers to sign up for our “Keep me Updated” service for power outages on www.PowerCheck.ie to receive status updates directly. Our Customer Contact Centre Agents will be supporting customers throughout Storm Darragh but will not be in a position to provide outage information until the network assessment has been fully conducted which is still ongoing in some of the worst affected areas.

We acknowledge the disruption to family and commercial life this causes, and thank customers across the country, especially those who will again remain without power overnight, for their patience as our crews work to safely restore power.

An Important Public Safety Message: If you come across fallen wires or damaged electricity network, never, ever touch or approach these as they are LIVE and extremely dangerous. Please report any damage to electricity infrastructure by calling 1800 372 999. 

ENDS/ 

Photo caption: ESB Networks crews with extensive support from partner contractors working to safely restore power following Storm Darragh.

Notes to editor:  

How ESB Networks restores power following a storm similar to Storm Darragh: 

  • Firstly, our crews make safe fallen, low hanging wires and other damage to electricity networks. This may mean that these lines have to be switched out until they can be repaired.
  • Where possible, we restore supply remotely from our National Distribution Control Centre using alternative power lines where available.
  • Prior to initiating repairs works, our Network Technicians carry out full assessments of network damage, so that power can be restored systematically and safely.
  • Crews are initially dispatched to repair lines that will return service to the largest number of customers in the least amount of time. ESB Networks focusses initially on high voltage transmission and medium voltage distribution lines where significant numbers of customers can be restored at once.
  • The next step is to restore the low voltage network that serves individual homes and smaller groups of customers. Typically, this is a slower process as there can be large numbers of small faults on a line serving a small cluster of customers, often less than ten properties. Each individual repair can be time consuming (clearing fallen trees, debris, broken poles etc) and only restores power to small customer numbers who are served by that low voltage line on the network.

Contracting partners assisting ESB Networks in restoration efforts:

  • Overhead Line partners: Actavo, KTL, TLI, Circet, ERA, Gaeltec, and Murphy’s
  • Poling Crews: Lynch Brothers, Carr Plant Hire, Winters, Newtons, Farrels, P&D Lydon, Lowrys, Swaines, Nodwells, Kennys, Blackwells, McSweeneys, Flemings, Maurice Murphy Plant, MFM,  O’Neills, O’Gormans, and Skahannas, 
  • Timber & Vegetation crews: Smerdon , Abbey Tree Services, Abraham Tree Maintenance, Allwood Tree Care, BH Tree Services, Conal, Davy O Connor Ltd, Dermot Casey Tree Care Services, Dunmanway Tree Care, Ground Control, John Conlon, Kevin Mathews, Mid Clare Tree Services, Mima Sky, North West Forest Services, Ormonde, Parklawn, Pat Fahey Contracting, PJ Hill Plant Hire, S&S Tree Services, SMK Forestry, Treepro Ltd, Twomey Tree Care Ltd, and TLI.