Trees down in Invercargill following the storm. Photo: RNZ / Calvin Samuel
Only 65 properties across Southland and Otago remain without power two weeks on from the devastating storm.
PowerNet chief executive Paul Blue said crews had been working tirelessly to repair the damage and restore power.
"Immediately after the storm we had more than 50,000 customers without power, there
were poles down everywhere, trees on lines and lines lying on the ground."
He thanked his staff, the communities for their patience and gratitude throughout the difficult time, and for the support they had received from others.
"When we put out the call to the electricity industry for help, it was answered very
quickly, and we are really grateful. Crews arrived from around the country within days.
"The response was also supported by many contractors and suppliers who did everything they could to assist the restoration including traffic management, tree removal and sourcing a huge number of supplies to rebuild our networks."
There were 22 customers in Southland who did not have power, and a further 43 in South Otago.
Photo: RNZ/Stan McFerrier
Work would continue to restore power to the last properties and they would get back into planned work over the coming weeks, he said.
"It's important we get back to our planned network maintenance to ensure our network
is resilient in the face of future weather events."
Southland's state of emergency was due to expire on Friday morning.
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