A major incident declared in County Durham following Storm Malik has been de-escalated.
Durham County Council has confirmed that power has now been restored to thousands of homes and hundreds of damaged trees have been secured following the weekend's gale-force winds which wreaked havoc across the North East.
When Storm Malik hit on Saturday morning, winds brought down trees and powerlines across the county, resulting in road closures and damage to buildings and vehicles.
Go here for the very latest breaking news updates from across the North East
A major incident was declared the same day and County Durham and Darlington Local Resilience Forum formed a Strategic Coordination Group (SCG) to lead a multi-agency response to the storm.
As part of this, Durham County Council, County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, Durham Constabulary and Northern Powergrid have been working hard to deal with the aftermath of the storm and support those affected.
Northern Powergrid engineers worked tirelessly to restore power and figures on February 1 confirmed there were less than 50 properties without power in the county.
Durham County Council staff have also removed debris and cleared and made safe 200 trees that were damaged by the strong winds.
All roads closed as a result of the storm have now reopened.
The response also saw the council’s neighbourhood wardens and fire and rescue teams visiting communities known to have been affected by the power cuts to check on residents.
Food trucks were arranged for areas most affected by the storm.
Thankfully, Storm Corrie was not as severe as anticipated on Sunday and the restoration work was able to continue.
John Hewitt, chief executive of Durham County Council and Chair of the SCG, said: “It has been a challenging time for many of our residents, especially with the storm hitting so soon after Storm Arwen.
"Thankfully, Storm Malik and Storm Corrie were not as severe as Storm Arwen, and the partners have been able to draw on the lessons learned during that incident to enhance our multiagency response this time.
“Although we have de-escalated the major incident, the impact of the storms remains a priority and we are now focused on helping communities to recover.
“I would like to say a huge thank you to all of the SCG partners for their hard work and dedication over the last few days. I would also like to thank our communities who have once again rallied to support those in need.”
A recap of the major incidents and disruption Storm Malik caused across the North East:
Tens of thousands affected by power cuts in Northumberland and County Durham
Tens of thousands of homes across the North East were left without power for the second time in a matter of months.
Northern Powergrid said 78,000 customers were affected by power cuts caused by Storm Malik since 4am on Saturday.
As of 4pm, 48,000 customers were still affected by issues, with the majority in Northumberland and County Durham.
Engineers faced challenges restoring the power as a result of the storm's strong winds which meant it was unsafe for teams to climb and repair damage to overhead powerlines.
Bensham residents fear for their home after neighbour's roof ripped off during Storm Malik
Clean-up efforts are underway after strong gusts of wind managed to rip the entire roof off a home on Overhill Terrace, Bensham, sending it crashing into the street below.
Shocked neighbours said residents ran to safety as slates were thrown into the street on Saturday morning.
Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that they attended the incident and evacuated two neighbouring properties.
Residents' shaken after Storm Malik causes gable end to collapse onto women at bus stop in Winlaton
Two women were buried under rubble after a gable end collapsed on them as they waited at a bus stop on Alice Street in Winlaton.
Neighbours said they saw residents digging the two women out of the rubble which had fallen on them before ambulance crews arrived.
Northumbria Police confirmed that both women were treated at the scene for injuries that are not described as life-threatening.
Roof blows off Gateshead's Station East pub during Storm Malik just weeks after opening
Gateshead's Station East pub has been forced to close until further notice just weeks after opening after losing its roof during Storm Malik.
Landlords Doug Musgrove and Edward Robson, who took over the tenancy this month and also run The Lane Head in Ryton, said the pub remained open over the weekend until they were made aware of the damage by a railway passenger.
Doug believes the cost of repairing the damaged roof will be in the "multi-thousands" and says the pub will remain closed while work is carried out.
Firefighters save Newcastle Falcons match as stadium battered by winds
Storm Malik's strong winds badly damaged the roof of Kingston Park Stadium throwing the Newcastle Falcons game into doubt on Saturday night.
But Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) managed to secure the roof, ensuring that their televised Premiership clash with Gloucester went ahead.
Animals evacuated after Storm Malik causes 'severe damage' to Newcastle Dog and Cat Shelter
Storm Malik caused 'severe damage' to parts of the Newcastle Dog and Cat Shelter in Benton on Saturday.
Staff had to evacuate the animals and bring them to safety as strong gusts damaged the roof of the kennel block.
The animals are safe but now the charity is faced with the financial challenge of repairing the building.
Bridges Shopping Centre in Sunderland evacuated due to 'high winds' from Storm Malik
The shopping centre was forced to evacuate all customers around mid-day on Saturday, following safety concerns for visitors due to high winds from the storm battering the North East.
However, the centre reopened a short time later following a safety assessment, with only a stretch remaining cordoned off.
