Storm leaves thousands of homes without electricity for Christmas in Finland

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A powerful storm which began on Wednesday evening left up to 40,000 households in different parts of Finland without electricity.
      The worst affected were communities in the southwest of Finland, such as Perniö, Särkisalo, Somero, Kisko, and the city of Salo, as well as Tammisaari, Karjaa, Sammatti and Nummi-Pusula. Many families had to spend Christmas without electricity, and some had to wait until Sunday before power was restored.
      "Lots of trees fell down on roads and power lines. Electricity was not restored until six in the evening of Christmas Eve. Fortunately I cooked the ham already on Monday, although I usually cook it on the morning of Christmas Eve", says Anne-Maija Tiainen.
      "Many of my neighbours evacuated during Christmas, because two days without heat will leave a house cold. We have a fireplace which stores heat and a wood-burning stove with which we were able to prepare food for Christmas guests. However, we had to go to Salo to wash, because we had no hot water. The water pump didn't work, but fortunately, cold water was available under its own pressure", she says.
      "Life without electricity is really difficult, because my son's family came to visit with their three-month old baby."
     
Esko Pokela, production manager of electricity transmission at the electric utility Fortum says that the areas cleared for power lines are too narrow in Southern Finland. "A heavy layer of damp snow easily causes trees to fall on power lines. Thousands of households were left without electricity for several days, because not even the fastest repair crews can set up new main power lines at a rate of more than one kilometre a day."
      Pokela adds that hundreds of kilometres of power line have been affected, and that in many places the whole line has had to be rebuilt.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Powerful winter storm wreaks havoc; damage around Finland (23.12.2004)

Helsingin Sanomat