Work is underway to prepare for further storms which are expected to hit the region this week.
Durham County Council, emergency services and other key organisations are working together to plan for the impact of storms Dudley and Eunice, with both expected to bring a period of very strong winds from tomorrow (Wednesday 16 February).
Storm Dudley will hit the region first, with an amber warning in place on Wednesday afternoon and evening. This is followed by a yellow warning for wind until 9pm on Friday evening with Storm Eunice expected to bring further disruption.
Teams from across the council are on standby to respond to any incidents caused by the storms and to provide additional support to residents and vulnerable households.
The council is working as part of a multiagency response to Storm Dudley and Storm Eunice, which will be led by County Durham and Darlington’s Local Resilience Forum (LRF).
It comes just weeks after Storm Malik brought down trees and power lines across the county, leaving a number of properties without power, and a major incident being declared by the LRF.
Alan Patrickson, Durham County Council’s corporate director for neighbourhoods and climate change, said: “We would like to reassure residents across County Durham that we are already working hard to prepare for any issues caused by this week’s storms and to ensure that support is available to anyone who needs it.
“We will continue to monitor the storm in order to ensure people and their property remain safe and that vital transport links remain open. We are also preparing for possible power outages across the county and we would urge residents to be aware of this possibility. We would also advise people to take extra care if they need to travel and also to consider securing outdoor items to reduce the risk of damage to property.”
Anyone who is aware of an older or vulnerable person who needs help can contact the council’s customer services team on 03000 26 0000. This number is available 24 hours, with out of hours emergency support available through our Care Connect team.
This number can also be used to report fallen trees on footpaths and highways and any damage to buildings.
Should any residents lose power during the storms, this can be reported at www.northernpowergrid.com – a map showing updated information on current power cuts is available at https://www.northernpowergrid.com/power-cuts.
If someone is without power and is vulnerable, call 105. Additional contact numbers are available for residents with a hearing or speech impairment. Full details are available at https://www.northernpowergrid.com/contact.
For information on any service disruption and road closures, please visit www.durham.gov.uk