Extension cable across the street helps French neighbors across the street with power outages

Abele’s main road forms the national border, and French residents were without power for no less than 33 hours in a full storm. They are very grateful to the Belgians.

In Abele, one side of the street is Belgium, the other side France. Even before storm Eunice blows past here on Friday, the electricity goes out on the French side. The breakdown continues, even after the storm has passed.

The French neighbors across the street are having a hard time. “After five hours they came by: can we please have a coffee or something. Finally they asked to cook a pot of macaroni. They had no hot water, no electricity or heating,” say Jessie and Gregory.

Extension cable across the street

Saturday morning the French side still has no electricity and the neighbors across the street ask if they can buy some electricity. Gregory immediately rushes to the rescue.

“It was still blowing,” says Gregory Pittelioen. “Quickly open and close the gate, the cable underneath and in. That we don’t catch any chunks on the left or right ourselves. It is a small effort and if you are with seven people you would like to be a little warm. It should be the other way around We would also appreciate to be helped.”

The extension cable will be laid across the street. The power outage eventually lasts until half past five on Saturday evening, more than thirty hours.

“Hugely grateful”

Alexandre and Carine, who have five children, are very grateful to their Belgian neighbors across the street. “We thank them very much for what they did. With the storm, some damage and then also no power, it was not so obvious. I think EDF was so overwhelmed by power cuts, trees that have fallen on the electricity wires. We are also on this the end of the net.”

-You are very grateful?

“Yes. We were able to heat, drink coffee and the teenagers were also able to charge their mobiles. It is not easy”, say Alexandre and Carine Fache, the French neighbors across the street.

Jessie and Gregory don’t ask their French neighbors for money for their electricity supply.

“We do that well with the neighbours. I don’t know why we would ask for money for that. They said you should come and make some food. – With a good picon? Yes, that’ll be fine.”