Storm Eunice hits Suffolk, cutting power to 13,900 properties

A major incident was declared in Suffolk on the morning of 18 February 2022 as Storm Eunice hit the county, with UK Power Networks later reporting 13,900 properties in Suffolk without power¹. The decision was taken by partners in the Suffolk Resilience Forum, including councils, health bodies, utility companies and the emergency services, after an assessment of the situation facing the county; the declaration formalised joint-working and resource sharing arrangements².

Parts of Suffolk were placed in the red warning zone early that morning, which the county council said means there is a significant risk to life, and forecasters expected gusts of up to 80mph between 10am and 3pm². More than 100 schools closed and students moved to online learning, libraries and Family Hubs closed, and some waste collections were affected². The Orwell Bridge was closed in both directions and rail networks were operating a reduced service².

In its update of 21 February, the county council set out the response in figures: Suffolk Police received 339 calls to 999 and 431 calls to 101, of which 150 were weather related; Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service attended 51 incidents; and Suffolk Highways received 146 reports of fallen trees and road obstructions, with 43 cleared, 12 being tackled and 30 scheduled, with teams working throughout the night¹. The Orwell Bridge remained closed in both directions and the rail network was suspended¹.

Jon Lacey, Suffolk's Chief Fire Officer and chair of the Suffolk Resilience Forum group coordinating the joint response, said:

The county council said this weekend's weather forecasts also predicted rain, very cold temperatures and more high winds, and that caution was being urged¹. It asked the public to drive to the conditions with debris and surface water expected, to report fallen trees and obstructions on roads and paths to Suffolk Highways on 0345 606 6171, to avoid coastal areas because of an increased risk of erosion posing danger to life, and to plan journeys in advance and check for travel disruption¹. With disruption to power supplies, people were encouraged to keep mobile phones fully charged and have torches to hand, and, if using candles or tea lights, to ensure they are on a hard surface and not left unattended¹. Further information on power cuts was directed to UK Power Networks on 105, a number that can also be used to report damaged powerlines, as well as 999 if there is an immediate risk to public safety¹. Flood advice was directed to gov.uk/flood or Floodline on 0345 988 1188².

Why it matters for households

The disruption described affected households across Suffolk from 18 February 2022: power supply, road and rail travel, schools, libraries, Family Hubs and some waste collections¹. The county council's safety advice remained in place because of the amount of fallen debris and winds still affecting the county, and further rain, very cold temperatures and high winds were forecast for the weekend¹. Households without power were encouraged to keep phones charged and torches to hand, with care taken over candles and tea lights¹. The storms and the electricity network guide explains how storm damage affects supplies, and the guide to reporting a loss of electricity covers ringing 105. More general material sits in the storms and snow and power cuts hubs.

What happens next

Suffolk Highways teams were to work through the night of 21 February to clear the remaining reported obstructions, with 30 of the 146 reports scheduled at the time of the update¹. The county council pointed residents to its Twitter and Facebook accounts, the Met Office forecast, and Highways East for Orwell Bridge closure information, and to schoolclosures.suffolk.gov.uk and suffolkrecycling.org.uk for service updates². No further update on restoration of power supplies in Suffolk has been reported in these announcements.