Christmas lights may not shine so bright this year

Some 221 of Flanders 308 municipalities face organised brownouts this winter.

Some 95 percent  of these municipalities have drawn up an Emergency Intervention Plan.

Muncipalities not expected to be hit by power cuts have felt the need to show solidarity with those that are being affected and have plans to use less power.

It may be a little chillier in the swimming pool or the municipal hall and the Christmas lights may not shine so bright.

However, the matter won’t be sorted just by dimming the Christmas lights.

A third of all municipalities that will be hit by the outages say that they are worried traffic chaos may ensue on the roads when the lights go out.

What will happen when power is turned off at level crossings? Will they stay closed? Will bridges over canals stay up?

There are also worries that the brownouts will be a godsend for burglars. Many are the Flemish mayors who are urging locals to make sure they have a torch handy and to turn it on to show the burglars that somebody is at home.

Flandersnews.be / Expatica