13 dead as Powerful Storm Lashes Northern Europe, Hits London, Brussels, Amsterdam
LONDON — One of the most powerful storms in Europe in years left at least 13 people dead, hundreds of thousands without power and many stranded on Monday when trains, planes and ferries were canceled after high winds battered the northern part of the Continent.
Gusts of 99 miles per hour were recorded in the south of England as the
storm brought parts of Britain to a standstill, uprooting trees,
overturning a double-decker bus and toppling a crane near the London
office of the deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg.
At least 13 storm-related deaths were reported, with most victims
crushed by falling trees. Germany had six deaths, Britain had five and
the Netherlands and Denmark had one each, The Associated Press reported.
One woman was also missing after being swept into the surf in France.
A gas explosion killed two people in London, and a British teenager
playing in the storm-driven surf was
swept out to sea, The A.P.
reported. A man in Denmark was killed when a brick fell off a building
and hit his head.
Many Britons still remember a 1987 storm that brought winds of up to 115
m.p.h. after a well-known weatherman, Michael Fish, had ridiculed the
idea that a hurricane was on its way. This time Britain’s forecasters
predicted the storm, but the transportation system is notoriously bad at
handling extreme weather and even mild snow showers can paralyze
networks.
On Monday, most train companies in southern England suspended some early
morning services, including those connecting Gatwick and Stansted
Airports to the capital. Some flights were canceled, and the worst-hit
airport appeared to be Heathrow, which canceled around 130 flights.
Several lines on the London Underground were also affected, with train
services delayed or in some cases suspended, and the Port of Dover
closed for three hours after being lashed by winds of 70 m.p.h.
Power failures crippled many parts of the country. “This was as a result
of networks’ being broken by objects such as trees, branches or road
signs blown by the strong winds,” said Tim Field, a spokesman for the
Energy Networks Association, the trade body for the operators of
infrastructure. Mr. Field said around 580,000 customers had their power
disrupted at one point during the storm, though by midday the number had
dropped to 270,000.
At the Dungeness B power station in Kent, nuclear reactors shut down
automatically after debris on incoming power lines interrupted energy to
the site, EDF Energy said. “The reactors are safely shut down and
National Grid staff are now working to restore the supply,” said Martin
Pearson, station director at Dungeness B.
With thousands unable to get to work, some speculated that train
companies had overreacted by canceling service before the first gust had
reached British shores.
“Everyone has to act on the basis of the evidence that they are given
and the information that they are given,” Prime Minister David Cameron
said. “Obviously, afterwards we will be able to look back and see
whether people made the right decisions.
“But right now what matters is listening to the evidence, working together and getting things back to normal.”
