Storm Agnes: Lancashire residents told to prepare with blankets and torches as power cuts and mobile phone outages possible

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for strong and disruptive winds from midday today (Wednesday, September 27) to 7am tomorrow.

People are being warned that this will bring possible risk due to flying debris, damage to buildings and potential power cuts, affecting services such as mobile phone coverage as well as transport services, while there will also be a small chance of injuries as well risk of large waves and minor flooding in coastal areas.

Power cuts

Electricity North West is asking people to prepare by getting blankets and torches ready and speaking with neighbours or family members in case there is a power cut.

Electricity North West customer director, Stephanie Trubshaw, said: “We cut trees back from our overhead lines year-round, invest in flood defences for our major electricity substations, and invest in the latest technology to manage the network safely too. We always have engineers on standby and when bad weather is forecast we ramp this up where needed across our patch to ensure a quick response.

“We’ll have local teams available to respond quickly on the ground across the North West and our customer team will be available for support if you need us.”

If anyone sees any damage to electricity equipment over the next few days, they should stay away and report it immediately by calling 105.

What to do if there’s a problem on the roads:

Lancashire County Council’s highways teams are on standby and people are being urged to report any urgent problems on the roads caused by the storm which require a highways emergency response by calling 0300 123 6780.

Any issues which are not urgent and could be addressed the next working day can be reported via the 'report a highways fault' link on the front page of Lancashire County Council's website at www.lancashire.gov.uk.

County Councillor Rupert Swarbrick, cabinet member for Highways and Transport, said: “Our highways teams are as prepared as they can be for whatever Storm Agnes brings, whether that be dealing with fallen trees, or making roads safe due to risks posed by damaged structures.

“It's always best to be prepared and I’d ask everyone to stay safe, keep an eye on the forecast and consider their travel plans in light of the weather warning.

"This autumnal storm is also a good reminder to think about anything you need to do to prepare as the weather becomes colder, whether that’s making sure you’ve got salt for de-icing paths around your home, or checking that vulnerable friends or relatives have got everything they need to stay warm, dry, safe and well.”

Flooding

Know your flood risk. Check GOV.UK or call the Environment Agency’s Floodline on 0345 988 1188.

Sign up for free flood alerts and warnings from the Environment Agency or call Floodline on 0345 988 1188.

If your home or business is located in a flood risk area, visit The Flood Hub for support in creating flood plans for your household, business and community.

Prepare an emergency pack and keep it within easy reach if needed.