Big storm in pub leaves thousands without electricity
BBCA pub owner says his business has lost at least £15,000 so far due to a power cut during Storm Darragh.
Nils Kirk is one of thousands of homes and businesses in Wales who are without power after Storm Darragh hit large parts of the UK at the weekend.
Mr Kirk, who runs The Ancient Briton pub in Penyke, Ystradginlais, Powys, with his wife, said he was “disappointed” that he had lost food and accommodation bookings after the power cut on Saturday.
“This is the time of year when we need to make money,” he said, adding that it is already a difficult time for the hospitality industry due to rising utility costs.
Mr Kirk said: “It’s a huge knock. I’m disappointed for the staff, they need the money for Christmas.”
He said they had booked 150 people for lunch and Christmas parties on Saturday and 130 on Sunday.
The power cut also meant that the pub’s phones and mobile phone signals were not working, leaving staff struggling to get hold of customers.
Winds of up to 93 mph (150 km/h) affected large parts of the country, and a rare red warning was in effect for much of the coast on Saturday.
National Grid said on Monday morning that 31,972 properties in south and central Wales were without power, with Scottish Power also reporting almost 10,000 power cuts in north and central Wales at 10:00 GMT.
Natural Resources Wales said two flood warnings had been issued 14 flood alertAnd dozens of schools were closed in many local authority areas.
Some rail services and ferry operations were also affected, with Holyhead port closed and scheduled sailings to Dublin canceled “due to weather damage to infrastructure”.
A spokesman for the port said a “thorough assessment” was being carried out following the damage caused on Saturday morning and it was expected to remain closed until 18:00 Tuesday evening.
Transport for Wales (TFW) said all railway lines were blocked on 11 routes including Swansea to Milford Haven, Swansea to Shrewsbury and Chester to Holyhead.
TFW also warned people to check before traveling on several routes.
National Rail Inquiries said, “Services today may be busier than usual and overcrowding may be experienced”.
Great Western Railways said passengers “should not attempt to travel” between Swansea and Carmarthen until at least 12:00.
school closed
Dozens of schools are closed or partially closed across Wales, including bridgeend, carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, pembrokeshire, Powys, gwyneddanglesey and flintshire,
Ceredigion Council said its teams were clearing trees on main roads over the weekend, advising that it may take some time for them to clear other roads.
It has also opened several drop-in centers where people without power can shower, charge phones and stay warm.
hoo reesOne of those affected by the power loss is fashion presenter Hugh “Fash” Rees, who relies on electricity to receive kidney dialysis.
Mr Rees, from Bryman, Carmarthenshire, BBC Radio Cymru’s Dros Frequiast tells He remained without electricity the entire weekend and had to go to the hospital on Sunday night for a blood test, followed by dialysis on Monday.
“When you don’t do dialysis, all the toxins stay in the body,” he said.
Mr Rees said he was “very hopeful” that power supplies would return soon.
He called for better planning for those who depend on electricity supply for their health, saying he has yet to receive any call from the electricity board offering help even though he is on the priority list because He is insecure.
Chris Meredith, owner of The Crystal Hut on Llandudno Pier in County Conwy, said “it was heartbreaking to see” as the pier suffered severe damage in the storm.
He said that a part of the roof of his hut was broken and the hut which had overturned was leaning on it.
Mr Meredith said he had not yet been able to visit the cottage to inspect the damage.
“We have to sit there like everybody else and wait, hope and pray that, basically, everything will work out and that’s one of the hardest things to do,” he said.
