Enedis, the electricity distribution network manager, reported more than 1.2 million people without power in France this Thursday morning, following storm Ciaran.
In a press release published this morning, Enedis indicated that it had, this Thursday, November 2 at 7 a.m., more than 1.2 million people without electricity. Among them, 780,000 are believed to be in Brittany. While storm Ciaran is still raging at more than 9 a.m., the company which manages the public network draws an initial assessment, and announces the first concrete actions.
Storm Ciaran causes considerable damage
Enedis indicates that it has triggered its “Rapid Electricity Intervention Force” with the curious acronym, FIRE, which makes it possible to trigger additional resources on the ground in the event of a major climatic event. With several departments crossed, pylons and cables torn off and trees falling on power lines by the thousands, storm Ciaran is one of them.
FIRE was created after the storms of 1999, it now makes it possible to mobilize, in just a few hours, thousands of technicians but also all the necessary equipment, to the region(s) on alert. Here, we are talking about 3,000 employees, technicians and service providers, 300 generators and 30 helicopters.
And time is running out: 1.2 million Enedis customers remain without electricity, with calls for emergency services numbering in the thousands, once Morbihan, Côtes d’Armor and the other affected departments are combined.
Winds sometimes record or almost
Storm Ciaran is particularly impressive. With winds reaching up to 207 km/h downwind at Pointe du Raz, it caused the closure of Finistère to traffic, quite simply prohibited. Waves up to 21.1 meters high have also been measured offshore.
In Brest, where hundreds of trees fell last night, winds reached a record speed of 156 km/h as the storm passed. The capital of Finistère also saw one of its cranes break in two in the middle of the night.
Ciaran has already claimed one victim. A truck driver unfortunately lost his life in a road accident in Aisne, caused by a tree falling on his truck. In a department which was not placed on red alert. Be careful, as the storm will rage for several more hours.
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