Storm Hannes wreaked havoc across Finland, leaving over 100,000 households without electricity as of Sunday. The storm, which struck on Saturday, brought severe winds, heavy snowfall, and freezing rain, damaging power infrastructure, transport systems, and buildings.
Impact of Storm Hannes
At its peak, Hannes cut electricity supply to more than 180,000 homes in over 200 municipalities. As reported by the Energy Industry, the restoration of power is expected to extend into the following week.
Damage and Emergency Response
Conditions began to improve by Sunday morning, but repair efforts were significantly hindered. Emergency services throughout western and central Finland managed thousands of calls regarding fallen trees, damaged roofs, and blocked roadways.
- In Pirkanmaa, emergency crews tackled nearly 600 storm-related incidents overnight.
- In total, over 1,500 emergency responses were recorded across Satakunta, Central Finland, Ostrobothnia, and coastal areas.
- Authorities confirmed no serious injuries despite numerous reports of trees falling onto homes.
Disruptions in Travel
The storm also disrupted rail transport. The Fintraffic rail control center reported significant damage along the line between Kokkola and Ylivieska. Many train services faced delays and cancellations due to storm conditions. Train operations between Jämsä and Pieksämäki were halted, with buses replacing trains.
In addition, long-distance services from Helsinki to Rovaniemi experienced delays of around three hours due to the weather.
Air Travel Challenges
Air travel in Lapland was severely affected. Operations at Kittilä, Ivalo, and Rovaniemi airports were suspended due to strong winds. Two aircraft slid into snowbanks at Kittilä, although no injuries were reported.
Flight operations resumed later in the evening, but delays persisted into Sunday, causing chaos at northern airports. Many travelers found themselves stranded in Rovaniemi, with hotels already at full capacity during the busy winter season.
Electricity Restoration Efforts
The storm caused unprecedented disruptions in the electricity distribution networks. Elenia, the power grid operator, labeled this incident the worst major disruption in ten years. Nighttime repair work was limited due to safety hazards from fallen trees and unstable structures. However, crews managed to restore power to approximately 30,000 customers by isolating fault areas.
The Finnish Meteorological Institute projected that storm conditions would fully dissipate by mid-morning on Sunday.
