– It started with flashing lights, and then the power went out completely at 1pm. That’s what Henrik Høydahl Støver (24) says in Andøy. He is one of 4,000 residents in the municipality who have been without electricity for many hours. And with strong winds throughout much of the day, it got cold at home. – I have no alternative heating sources, so I went down to a friend’s and a friend’s house. Here we sit with a fire in the fireplace and candles. Cooking dinner, on the other hand, has become bad. But through his job in the Armed Forces, Støver has access to field rations. And with a small primus to boil water, they have eaten “at least enough calories”, says Støver. – We’ll get off him, he says in a northern-sounding accent. In Lofoten, the extreme weather “Ingunn” caused a number of damages to buildings on Thursday In Tangstad on Vestvågøy in Lofoten, several buildings have suffered extensive damage after the extreme weather “Ingunn”. The whole community is blacked out. It is the network company Noranett that is responsible for the power lines into the municipality. Extreme weather “Ingunn” took both the main supply and the reserve supply to the island. The extreme weather has blown over several power lines. Photo: Noranett The main supply, on the other hand, is so damaged that it will take several days to get it fixed. Therefore, Noranett has all available crew to get the reserve supply back up. When network director Terje H. Andreassen in Noranett spoke to news earlier on Thursday evening, he said that they had to search along a four-mile stretch where snowmobiles were the only means of transportation. Shortly after 8 p.m., the company writes in a message that they have found the error. – We have requisitioned a machine that is on its way to the scene of the accident. Estimated correct time is 05.00. Photo: Noranett Fears mobile phone coverage may fail Mayor Kjell-Are Johansen (Ap) says that the municipality has set up a crisis team. – Andøya has been without power supply since around 2pm today. The entire Andøy community is blacked out, he says to news. Now they fear that the mobile network may also fail. Mayor Kjell-Are Johnsen (Ap) says the municipality has set up crisis staff and fears that mobile phone coverage may fail in the island municipality. Photo: Vilde Bratland Erikstad / news This is because Telenor’s base stations only have backup power for a certain amount of time. – We have established two physical meeting points in the municipality, at the town hall at Andenes and at Åse nursing home. If mobile phone coverage is lost, there are satellite telephones in these two places. He adds: – Here we can mediate contact with ambulance, fire, rescue and the police if necessary. Telenor: Can last for four hours – Our base stations around Norway have reserve power that lasts for around four hours. We have a robust mobile network, but it still runs on electricity. This is what Telenor’s information manager, Roald Orheim, tells news. – The only solution we see here is for the electricity to return. Roald Orheim is information manager at Telenor. He says that base stations are designed to withstand four hours without power. After that, they can go down at any time. Photo: Telenor He says that there have been a number of lapses in mobile phone coverage linked to power outages caused by the storm in recent days. – The experience is that as soon as the storm passes and the power comes back on, the mobile phone coverage also comes back up. – On Andøy they say that they have been without electricity since 1pm. Does this mean that the mobile phone coverage could fail at any moment? – Yes, if the power does not come back on soon, there is a very high chance that the entire mobile network in Andøy will go down. It was so windy in Lofoten on Thursday morning that news’s reporter struggled to stay on his feet. Is in dialogue with the Defense Forces. – Of course it is dramatic for those who sit at home in the dark and lack heat. We encourage people to accompany their neighbour. He adds: – It is never beneficial to be without electricity for so long, especially on a day with so much wind. He says that it will be appropriate to introduce stronger measures if the power outage is prolonged. – We have been in contact with local defense and we are looking at measures. We must ensure that all residents have an alternative heating source to keep warm. For example, power generators can be supplied to Andøy, says Johnsen. Throughout the day, the crisis management had several meetings with the State Administrator in Nordland, local and regional police and the Norwegian Armed Forces. Throughout the afternoon, the municipality mapped the status of everything from care homes to nursing homes and users in the home who need health care. – We have implemented measures for users with special needs. We assess the situation continuously. It is not just in Vesterålen that people are struggling with electricity – In Rødøy municipality they have been without electricity since Monday!
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4,000 people in Andøy municipality are without electricity – fear the mobile network may fail – news Nordland
