without electricity or heating for three days in Orne, he says

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Four housing units in the old train station Saint-Langis-lès-Mortagne (Orne) were impacted by storm Caetano for 75 hours in Perche, after the snow fell on the evening of November 21.

Origin of the power outage

Branches of the sumptuous Lebanese cedar, 20 meters high and more than 80 cm in diameter, broke off under the weight of the snow. The occupants of the station's accommodation remained without electricity for 3 and a half days.

The “nightmare” of Alain Gesbert

Living in the old station, Alain Gesbert lived in difficult conditions during this storm.

Without electricity since Thursday November 21 at 9 a.m. until Sunday November 24 at 12 p.m., we experienced a real nightmare, although sheltered by our children in Loisé.

They were welcomed by their neighbors across the street for lunch on Thursday November 21 and quickly made the decision to find refuge with their children in Loisé, having absolutely no idea “when” the electricity would be restored…

Wires down

Supported by the mayor of the town, Bernard Surcin, multiple telephone calls were made from 9 a.m. using cell phones to Enedis, prefecture, sub-prefecture, 112 (the firefighters intervened immediately on the station site to secure the place, all electrical and telephone wires being down). After being repaired only on Sunday, November 24 at 12 p.m., the Gesbert couple returned to their home on Sunday afternoon. Relieved.

The municipal hangars just nearby were not impacted, “the line being different”, insists the Mayor. The artisan mason, of Portuguese nationality, was able to continue his activity thanks to the passage of a cable made available to him by the Langissoise municipality, allowing him only to light and cook.

“I can do without heating, I had redone all the insulation in my home,” he reveals to Bernard Surcin.

What future for the cedar of Lebanon?

Although branches were cut on only one side, the behemoth resisted the wind during Bert's passage… “I contacted pruners so that they could work on the branches on the other side in order to To avoid a new disaster, the pruning company will be able to diagnose the state of health of this cedar,” reassures the councilor.

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