The National Civil Defence Authority today announced that it is helping get a rudimentary electricity supply to the Ria Formosa islands of Armona and Culatra as the EDP supply has been cut off since Thursday and depsite millpond conditions, technicans are unable to fix the cable due to 'bad weather.'
The Authority is working within its public interest remit and using helicopter transport to get three emergency generators to Armona and Culatra islands to linkm into the power supply that was cut off on Thursday afternoon at 3pm.
The break in the electrical supply was, according to the official explanation by the Civil Defence Authority, due to a problem with the power cable which runs underwater along the floor of the Ria Formosa.
The "unfavorable sea conditions did not allow the electricity cable to be fixed by EDP technicians," according to the National Civil Defence Authority.
The sea has been calm in the Ria area for the past two days and the only disturbance to normal island life has been the machinery used in the destruction of property under the Polis funded 'improvements.'
The generators are being transported by a Kamov helicopter and by the end of the day two of the three units should be in place "provisionally to provide power to the locals" until the cable problem is resolved.
"The Kamov that is carrying out the mission is operating from the permanent helicopter base in Loulé," explained the Association.
Fortunately there is a helicopter landing pad on Culatra for just such an emergency, built quite illegally by locals who despaired of ever getting official permission.
EDP estimated that the power will be back on by midday on Saturday as temperatures drop sharply to a winter time low brough about by the recent polar winds.
See also:
http://www.algarvedailynews.com/news/2174-culatra-s-illegal-diy-helipad-used-for-dawn-rescue