Nearly 10,000 homes in U.K. left WITHOUT POWER as Storm Henk batters country

01/05/2024 / By Ramon Tomey

Nearly 10,000 homes in the United Kingdom are currently without power due to a major storm that hit South West England.

Sky News reported on Jan. 3 that Storm Henk brought in winds of up to 94 miles per hour in Britain. It pummeled South West England and South Wales with strong winds, including the South Midlands and East Anglia. Many areas were also flooded as a result of the storm, the outlet added.

The Energy Networks Association (ENA), which represents all energy providers across the U.K., said an estimated 38,000 people were left without electricity as a direct result of Storm Henk. ENA spokesman Ross Easton said technicians restored electricity to more than 100,000 customers after the storm damaged power lines on Jan. 3.

A day earlier, the ENA told i News – sister paper to the Independent – that around 8,900 properties were left without power. It added that most of the households without electricity were based in South West England, with nearly 2,000 affected homes in Cornwall. (Related: Hurricane Idalia batters Florida with catastrophic flooding, leaving some areas uninhabitable for “months” and at least 270,000 people without power.)

Aside from homeowners, passengers taking London’s train system were affected by the storm.

Southern Rail told passengers not to travel “unless absolutely necessary” due to “multiple weather-related incidents.” Avanti West Coast confirmed “multiple incidents of flooding on its train network, closing lines between Birmingham, Coventry and Stafford. South Western Railway urged people not to patronize its train service due to the severe weather, and authorized customers to book its taxis for travel across its network.

Even aircraft wasn’t spared, with footage showing planes struggling to land at Heathrow Airport. One British Airways jet was forced to take off again as it reached the runway during a landing due to strong winds. Meanwhile, an Apache helicopter on the Middle Wallop airfield in Hampshire village was toppled.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan warned citizens of a “potential risk to life and property” in the British capital. His warning came amid many locals returning to the city after the Christmas holiday.

Aftermath of Storm Henk prompted rescue missions

The damage caused by Storm Henk prompted rescue missions in some areas. In Warwickshire county, first responders were called to Kenilworth Ford to rescue a driver who got stuck trying to maneuver through the flood water.

“Due to the speed of the flowing water, we used our inflatable sled to safely rescue the car’s occupants,” a spokesman for the Warwickshire Fire & Rescue Service said. “Please avoid the area and don’t try to drive through flood water.”

A woman was hit by a tree in the Orpington area of South East London, suffering severe but “not life-threatening” injuries. “We sent resources to the scene including an ambulance crew, an incident response officer and London’s air ambulance,” the Metropolitan Police Service said.

In South London’s Sutton town, the entirety of a scaffolding structure fell off the face of a building and crashed on to the pavement in front of a passerby. No injuries were reported in relation to this incident.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) became inundated by calls of fallen debris in the aftermath of Storm Henk. This prompted the service to call on people to only report emergencies and secure outdoor decorations and trash bins. Reports of falling trees and scaffolding should be passed on to local councils, the LFB stressed.

“Stay indoors when possible, but if you need to travel – take extra care as strong winds can pick up flying debris,” the brigade reiterated.

Visit Disaster.news for more stories about natural and man-made disasters around the world.

Watch this footage of the damage caused by Hurricane Ian, which battered the state of Florida.

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