Parts of southeastern Finland without electricity for over two days

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The weather-related problems with the distribution of electricity continued in the southeast of Finland on Thursday. In all, at least two thousand households were affected by the power outage.
      The repair work progressed slowly on Thursday as the snow load kept bending more and more trees on top of the power lines. In the worst affected areas in Southern Karelia, the blackout that started on Tuesday evening has continued well into its third consecutive day.
      Fixing the lines continued until late on Thursday evening. At least in the Kymi River Valley and in Southern Karelia the blackout was expected to continue in some households even into Friday.
     
Because of the extended power failure, many of the areas were cut off from the outside world. In Southern Karelia the blackout transported the village of Lemi and its one thousand inhabitants back in time several decades.
      The power failure shut off mobile and landline telephone connections and other telecoms networks in the Lemi region. There was no clean water, and toilets were out of operation because there was no electricity to power the pumps.
      The 200 or so pupils of the Lemi School enjoyed their lunch in a candle-lit chilly lunch room, and a gas burner from the chemistry lab was brought into service to make coffee in the staff-room.
     
"It is scary to realise how dependent we all are on electricity", education director Raila Oksanen pointed out.
      On the other hand, the power cuts set the stage perfectly for a day of heritage education. Among other things, the pupils were taught to use the hurriedly reconditioned outhouses of the adjacent youth association building.
      The blackout complicated life also at the local health centre and the senior citizens' home. Power was finally restored in the village centre just before 11 am on Thursday.
      Municipal secretary Markku Peutere considered the situation exceptional. "In our emergency preparedness we have not made adequate provision for a situation where both electricity and the telecommunications services are simultaneously out of action", he says.
     
To compensate for the lengthy blackout, the power companies will have to provide their buyers with electricity at a discounted price.
      For households, the rebate for a 48-hour blackout equals nearly a tenth of the annual electricity bill.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Blizzard brings up to 30 centimetres of snow - traffic badly hit again (2.11.2006)

Links:
  Finnish Meteorological Institute

Helsingin Sanomat