Makita has donated five portable power generators to the flood relief efforts helping residents and businesses in the Cumbria region suffering flood damage following Storm Desmond.

Many homes have remained without full power supply some days after the worst winds and rain engulfed the area, bringing down power lines, flooding power substations and drowning domestic and business electrical systems.

The Makita generators have been shipped to Thomas Grahams & Sons, the Makita distributor in Carlisle, from Makita UK headquarters in Milton Keynes. These are being donated to organisations helping with the relief efforts across the Cumbria and Lancashire region. Additional generators have been donated to the Operations Team at the Lake District National Park and will be helping in the Glenridding and Penrith areas.

Ten Makita petrol powered generators are being put to work to help the relief effort – six 2.8kVA units and four of the larger 4.5kVA output machines which all provide both 240v AC and 12v DC output. AC will power domestic products such as kettles and dryers whilst DC output can be used to power battery chargers, some lighting and small appliances.

“It is hard to imagine the pain and anguish of residents and business managers with water running through their premises up to first floor height,” says Kevin Brannigan, Makita UK, marketing manager. “We asked our team in the area what we could do to help and the generators were the prime requirement. We are happy to donate these machines and if they are retained we hope they will not have to be used for the same sort of relief work in the future but may help some local organisations with mobile power.”

Roger Smith of Thomas Grahams is distributing the Makita generators to the most urgent locations and sends this message back south to Milton Keynes. “A massive thanks to you all at Makita for your generosity – it is very touching to know friends from outside our region are thinking of us. I will make sure the five generators are used by the local community and passed on after each household has used them and then they will be kept for good causes afterwards. A big Thank You to you all again.”