ESB Networks has announced that the final homes and businesses affected by Storm Éowyn power outages should have their electricity restored by tonight, marking the end of a challenging two-week period that saw 768,000 customers lose power across Ireland.
The restoration effort, which has been one of the largest in ESB’s history, is nearing completion with only around 200 premises remaining without power as of yesterday. This marks a significant milestone in the recovery from what has been described as an unprecedented weather event.
The utility company has urged the public to remain cautious about potential hazards, particularly warning about unidentified low-hanging wires that should be reported immediately to ESB Networks if encountered.
Meanwhile, telecommunications services are still being restored in some areas. According to ComReg, the storm’s impact on national telecommunications was the most severe in its recorded history. Currently, a small percentage of users – 0.32% of fixed service customers and 0.13% of mobile service users – are still experiencing disruptions.
While most emergency response hubs have now closed, eleven facilities remain operational in Galway and Mayo, providing essential services such as WiFi and showers to communities still dealing with broadband outages.
According to The Journal, this final phase of power restoration brings to an end one of the most significant infrastructure challenges Ireland has faced in recent years, with the recovery effort requiring unprecedented coordination and resources to restore power to affected communities.