Storm Éowyn: Mother has “absolutely awful” six days without power

Nicola Graham told BBC’s Good Morning Ulster she has had an “absolutely awful” six days without power since Storm Éowyn on Friday.

She said she has to boil a saucepan of water over her wood burning stove to feed her eight-month-old her bottle.

The rest of the family are relying on take-away meals that cost £40 a night and “using the washing machine at shops”, she said.

“We are surviving with head lamps and candles”, she added, having to recharge lamps and phones at school, work and in the car.

“From 17:30 to bedtime, it’s awful. We are all sitting in one room trying to keep heat and trying to entertain children.

“You can’t draw in the dark and play with your toys in the dark.”

Nicola said that because she is on the “priority list” due to her child having additional needs, NIE send her an hourly message saying the repair team is “on their way” and power will be restored by Saturday, 1 February.

“I am supposed to have a check in phone call from NIE everyday and I didn’t have one yesterday to see how we were coping,” she added.

“They offered me a community centre in Roe Valley near Limavady, that’s it.

“It’s going to be really tough. Our saving grace is that we’re out at work.”

She said she would like “a bit of hope that they are doing something and we are not left in limbo”.

“The best outcome is that I would see an NIE van beyond my lane and having my wires up to connect the power supply back to my home,” she added.