Effort to restore power is 'extremely challenging'

A mother from County Londonderry has said she is concerned for the health of her six-year-old son Jace, who has cystic fibrosis, as she remains without power for a fourth day following Storm Éowyn.

Terri Lee-Watson from Limavady said the power cut, which began on Friday, was a "novelty" at the beginning, but now she is concerned the cold temperature will negatively affect her son.

"The coldness can be really detrimental to his health," she told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme.

"A cold could sit on his chest and give him a chest infection."

The first and deputy first ministers have called for Northern Ireland's electricity distribution company to "step up" and provide compensation as 50,000 properties remain without electricity.

Specialist engineers have arrived from England to help restore power, but Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) has warned it could be 3 February before all properties are reconnected.

Derek Hynes, managing director of NIE, told BBC News NI's Evening Extra that his team has been speaking to the utility regulator and the Department for the Economy about establishing a compensatory scheme "to reflect the hardship that people are suffering".

"It's not straightforward but I think in principle we're all agreed that we will go on a process so we can figure out how to do it and then ultimately put something in place over the next period of time," he said.

The Watson family spent Friday night in their own home, using blankets to stay warm, but have since moved out to stay with family members.

"We're just so lucky that we have got family up here, because there are so many people who will be stuck at home and have to just make do with what they have," she said.

"He's got a nebuliser to do every day. If he didn't do that, it could affect his health; he could get mucus build-up in his chest.

"It wouldn't just be a cold to him. It could be a nasty chest infection that could land him in the hospital.

"The one or two days that he has missed his nebuliser hopefully won't have an effect on his health, but if it were to go on for the full week, it definitely would, and we can't take that chance."

Ms Watson said she's had to do additional physiotherapy on her son to counteract the cold.

She told BBC News NI that she hopes NIE's estimate of 10 days to restore service is the "worst-case scenario".

"I'm hoping that there's a good chance that it comes on any day really, or any hour possible," she said.

Desmond and Olive Hyndman have been without power at their home in Dervock, County Antrim, since Thursday night.

Olive uses a wheelchair and hasn't had electric to power her hospital bed which has meant carers have had to lift her in the mornings.

The couple said "it hasn't been easy".

They were at the community centre in the village which is open for people who need something warm to eat or drink or to charge their phones.

"The only warm water we've had was from the farm where the granddaughter keeps her pony," Mr Hyndman said.

"She gave us three flasks with boiling water in it to make tea."

Power has now been restored to over 215,000 properties.

Speaking on Good Morning Ulster, Ronan McKeown, NIE future networks director, said it was "an extremely challenging situation".

He said the majority of customers still without power are expected to be "back on by Thursday at 10 o'clock".

"It's hard to be precise but our initial analysis at the minute is showing between 15 - 20,000 beyond Thursday," he added.

NIE Networks engineer Caron Malone told BBC News NI that Storm Éowyn was "the worst storm we've ever faced here in Northern Ireland".

"The consequences and the impact that it's had on the network has been really devastating, but we're working tirelessly to get everybody back on supply."

There are 11 community assistance centres, supported by NIE staff, and over 60 drop-in centres to help those without power.

Opening times can be found here.

Rachel McGowan, who owns a cake business, has been without electricity since Friday morning.

She said she baked as much as possible before the storm hit to complete all her Saturday orders - even finishing some by melting chocolate over the fire.

However she had to cancel a cake decorating event on Friday night and 15 cake orders for this week.

"Thankfully there were no weddings but there was a 100th birthday, a first birthday, first communions," she said.

"They are all still really important to each family."

Meanwhile, Clogher Valley Sure Start childcare facility has been providing support to families without power and water.

Its project manager Danielle McKenna told BBC News NI that parents have been able "to come into a warm space that had all the basic essentials".

"Parents were able to make a cup of tea, charge devices and get bottles ready," she said, adding that they also used the washing machines and freezers to store food.

Local councillor Eugene McConnell said he has heard "horror stories of people in the area trying to care for elderly parents with no electricity and no water".

Farmers are also facing challenges, he said.

"Cattle need to drink as well as human beings and having no water is completely the worst case scenario for [farmers]."

Other homeowners are picking up the pieces after damage to their properties during the storm.

Tracey and Tam McMahon, who live outside Coalisland, County Tyrone, lost the roof of their house.

Ms McMahon told BBC News NI that she could see parts of the roof "flying past the kitchen window".

"It's hard to describe it," she said.

"We didn't know if it was safe to leave the house because it was so dark, so we just had to sit tight until daylight."

Mr McMahon said it felt "like a tornado".

"When you go into the house, there's water dripping everywhere and parts of the ceilings that are left are getting ready to collapse," he added.

Sixty schools in Northern Ireland closed on Monday due to structural damage caused by Storm Éowyn.

The EA maintenance helpline has been operational throughout the weekend and received 154 reports of damage to school buildings.

It ranged in severity from missing roof tiles, fallen trees and serious structural damage.

In the Republic of Ireland, there are more than 200,000 customers still without power, down from a peak of 768,000, as a result of Storm Éowyn.

One man, Kacper Dudek, 20, died after a tree fell on his car in Raphoe, County Donegal, during the storm.

Thousands of customers in Scotland are also still without power.

To report faults or emergencies you should contact:

Northern Ireland Housing Executive: 03448 920 901

Openreach Damages to Network: 08000 23 20 23 (Individual faults must be logged with Communications Providers)

Gas networks: 0800 002001

NI Water: 03457 44 00 88 or visit niwater.com, external

Flooding Incident Line: 0300 2000 100

NIE Networks: 03457 643 643 or visit nienetworks.co.uk