OREANDA-NEWS.  On 16 March 2009 was announced, that the functioning of the electric grid complex of IDGC of Centre on holidays, from 7 March to  9 March 2009, was checked for durability by the changeable weather of the inter-season period. On 8 March it sleeted in the Tambov region; the squally wind was registered; wires were iced due to a descent of temperature.

As a result of deterioration of weather conditions since 19.00 o'clock, 8 March, 54 transmission lines and 605 transformer centers (TC) went out of operation; 112 settlements of the Tambov region remained without electric power supplies. The areas which suffered most of all: Tambov, Zherdevsk and Sampursk areas.

Owing to powermen’s quick and skilful actions, the overwhelming majority of settlements were connected to electric power supplies system in the shortest time. Now the connection of the consumers who have temporarily remained without the electric power continues the second day on end. According to Deputy Chief of Networks Management Center, Tambovenergo branch, IDGC of Centre, Vitaly Belyaev, as of 19.00 o'clock, 9 March, three transmission lines providing electric power supplies of five sparsely populated settlements remain without electricity.

Director for Maintenance and Repairs of IDGC of Centre Dmitry Pankov said, "The south of Russia has suffered from weather of the first spring month most of all. On 7 March, IDGC of Centre’s power specialists restored the electric power supplies of consumers of the Belgorod region which were broken by adverse weather conditions. A little later, the bad weather affected Tambov region grids. Professional teams work locally, the dispatchers of the networks management center of branches together with employees of the EMERCOM Main Administration of Russia coordinate works; therefore, we suppose that the power supplies of the Tambov region will be completely restored in the nearest hours."