1,200 still without power in Tyrone

FOLLOWING the chaos of Storm Darragh over the weekend, approximately 1,200 homes in Tyrone are still without power as residents faced widespread outages and travel disruptions. Areas including Carrickmore, Gortin, Cranagh, Plumbridge, Creggan, Greencastle, and Killyclogher were among the hardest hit, leaving many in the dark for much of the weekend.

Local councillor, Anne Marie Fitzgerald, one of those affected, described the challenges the community faced.

“Our power was off since 10am on Saturday,” she said. “NIE informed me they are trying their best to resolve the issue, but it could be a couple of days before it’s back on. We’ve had the candles and fire lit and board games out all weekend!”

Cllr Fitzgerald also highlighted two incidents on the A505 road between Omagh and Cookstown, where debris struck cars, forcing young drivers to abandon their vehicles. “Thankfully, no one was injured,” she added.

Despite the challenges, Cllr Fitzgerald praised the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) for their swift response in clearing debris and fallen trees.

“There were reports of trees down between Omagh and Newtownstewart, which were removed within two hours. It was a wonderful job on their behalf,” she said.

Over the weekend, DfI staff responded to around 900 incidents, including road blockages, debris, and flooding.

The Northern Ireland Electricity Network (NIE) confirmed that about 95,000 customers across the region experienced power outages, with Tyrone among the worst affected.

NIE’s Network Operations Manager Alex Houston explained their ongoing efforts to restore power: “At this stage, we have worked through a lot of the faults affecting larger numbers and are now moving to those impacting smaller groups. We estimate the vast majority will be restored by Monday evening, though some pockets may remain off supply into Tuesday.”

Community assistance centres were set up across Northern Ireland to support those still without power. In Tyrone, Cookstown Leisure Centre provided warm drinks, charging facilities, and practical aid on Sunday, while the Red Cross offered additional help at the Spar Store on Strabane Road, Newtownstewart.

NIE Networks will also open community assistance centres in Omagh and Dungannon tomorrow (Monday) from 12–2pm and 5-7pm to offer assistance to those still without power. They will be located at Omagh Leisure Complex and Dungannon Leisure Centre.