Much power restored in western Germany after floods, 5,800 still cut off

[July 27, 2021]    FRANKFURT (Reuters) - The restoration of power supplies in flood-stricken parts of western Germany has continued but an estimated 5,800 households are still without electricity, the country's biggest local grid company Westnetz said on Tuesday.

A man looks on outside a house in an area affected by floods caused by heavy rainfall in Bad Muenstereifel, Germany, July 19, 2021. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/File Photo

A total 200,000 households were cut off less than two weeks ago after extreme rainfall caused deadly flooding across the region when river water swept through towns and villages.

Power substations and transformers that were switched off when flooded had been cleaned, tested and recommissioned, Westnetz, which is part of utility group E.ON, said in a statement.

Sockets and installations including photovoltaic panels and storage batteries in some parts of the area still needed more work to ensure that reconnecting them was safe for both people and the housing stock, it added.

Some 800 employees have been pulled together from technical units, control centres, and hotlines to work locally, and related units of E.ON and partner companies were also providing support.

Westnetz, which supplies 7.5 million customers with power, gas, water and heat, is still using alternative substations and emergency generators in some locations.

(Reporting by Vera Eckert, editing by David Evans)

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